For me, long COVID was life destroying Eric, a vicar from the UK, on how rehabilitation services gave him hope – World Health Organization

In December 2021, Eric Bossward, a vicar from Oxford in the United Kingdom (UK) was feeling distinctly lousy. Hed caught COVID-19 several weeks earlier and although initially he had only mild symptoms, he was now feeling a lot worse, both physically and mentally, but had no idea why.

The fatigue had become just unbelievable. I couldnt think properly. I was suffering from horrendous breathlessness, as well as dizzy spells. I also had the most horrific anxiety, waking up every morning with an overwhelming sense of dread. Ive had anxiety and depression in the past and had medication for it but this was way, way beyond anything Id ever experienced before.

Theres never a good time to feel ill, but for Bossward the timing could not have been much worse.

The run-up to Christmas is understandably one of the busiest times of year for me, with services to organize and lead. The difficulty with my work is that its like living over your shop; the vicarage is right next door to the church, so its very hard to take any time off and people rely on you so much.

So, Eric soldiered on, even though the symptoms didnt let up and if anything, seemed to get worse.

People need to talk to me about things like weddings, christenings and funerals and so it was almost impossible for me to take time off. Its partly my personality too I just didnt want to let other people down.

With no sign of improvement, Eric went to see his doctor the following month, in January 2022, suspecting that he might have post COVID-19 condition, commonly known as long COVID, having seen it mentioned online. Although no other cause for his symptoms could be determined, the doctor, following UK guidelines, could not formally make a diagnosis for long COVID until 12 weeks had passed since Bossward had been given the all-clear from his original infection, meaning he had a further month before he could be referred for specialist support.

My family and congregation were very concerned about me. I just wasnt myself Id almost become a different person. Previously, I was very fit, running every day and competing in half marathons, but all that just stopped. The brain fog was so bad that I thought I might have dementia. My mental health really took a hit too.

Finally, in February 2022, Erics doctor was able to refer him to the Oxford Post COVID Assessment Clinic, which had been open for a year and offered a multidisciplinary approach to investigating and managing long COVID symptoms.

It was absolutely amazing. Id felt so, so isolated with my condition and felt like nobody understood what was wrong with me. But there, they got it. They knew I wasnt making it up, or imagining it; they understood that what I had was real.

Bossward relates how the information he received from the clinic team was invaluable, not just allowing him to get a handle on what he was dealing with, but also to give him the strategies for dealing with different aspects of his condition.

The first couple of times I came to the clinic, I just burst into tears in relief, knowing that I wasnt going mad and that things were being done to help me get better. The staff had the time to listen to me and were incredibly empathetic. They taught me techniques to pace what I was doing, making me understand that I needed to conserve energy to prevent the onset of debilitating fatigue.

A year and a half on from his original COVID-19 infection, Bossward is feeling a lot better, though he admits that a second COVID-19 infection in December 2022 did set him back temporarily.

Ive managed to get back to running in the last fortnight only 1.5 km at any one go, which is pretty rubbish compared to what I used to be doing, but its a start and feels like progress, so it spurs me on.

My sleep is also much better now, and I dont wake up feeling so anxious. My brain fog is still there, but not nearly so bad. Im still very aware that I need to pace myself throughout the day, but the clinic has taught me that this is all likely to be temporary and that by doing the right things, I can recover to the point where I can do the activities I want to be able to do.

Bossward has only good things to say about the support hes received from the Oxford Post COVID Assessment Clinic and praises their holistic approach to dealing with the physical, mental and emotional health impacts of the condition, as well as their collaborations with other relevant organizations and services.

To help with my breathlessness, the Clinic suggested I get in touch with the English National Opera company, which organizes online singing and breathing sessions especially for long COVID patients. It was absolutely fantastic. Not only did the sessions really help with my breathing, but they relieved my anxiety and gave me the chance to meet with other people in the same position. I felt less alone, and it was a real turning point for me thinking Yes, this is temporary, I will get better.

It frustrates Bossward that even after all this time, the wider public still dont recognize the threat to their health that long COVID poses.

People need to recognize how severe the effects of long COVID can be. At my worst, I felt suicidal because of it. Nobody wants that. If you can do anything to protect yourself from getting COVID-19 in the first place and so avoid the risk of it developing into long COVID, then my message would be to definitely do it.

Of those infected by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, 1 in 10 will go on to develop long COVID, defined as the continuation or development of new symptoms 3 months after the initial infection, with these symptoms lasting for at least 2 months with no other explanation.

Long COVID can develop in people of all ages, regardless of severity of original symptoms. It is also known that the chance of developing the condition increases the more times a person gets reinfected by the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

According to estimates from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington in Seattle, a WHO collaborating centre, nearly 36 million people across the WHO European Region may have experienced long COVID in the first 3 years of the pandemic. That means approximately 1 in 30 Europeans may have been affected.

WHO/Europe continues to work in partnership with the advocacy group Long-COVID Europe and other organizations such as Long Covid Kids to ensure that the voices of those living with long COVID are reflected in guidance and information.

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For me, long COVID was life destroying Eric, a vicar from the UK, on how rehabilitation services gave him hope - World Health Organization