Long Covid sufferer in Leeds calling for more awareness around the condition
Leeds woman who has long Covid is calling for more awareness around the condition
Next month marks five years since the first covid-19 lockdown and whilst many people contracted coronavirus and recovered, there are people with long Covid.
Nicky Zielinsky from Leeds tested positive for the virus in September 2022 and now has long Covid.
Nicky said It’s impacting her “physically, emotionally, mentally and socially” and goes on to say the acceptance and the adapting of the chronic illness are the hardest parts.
She told us she is now classified as disabled.
Nicky said: “The hardest thing was grieving for myself and that loss I had of what I used to be like, I worked full time and was always busy. I ran a half marathon, I also I did 10ks often”.
She told us struggles with physical and cognitive fatigue, and she must focus on conserving her energy. She explained how a day when she needed to sleep after coming down the stairs at her house. “I have been told I have an orthostatic intolerance; that’s an intolerance to standing” she said.
Watching TV or listening to an audiobook makes Nicky fatigued, she can only listen to around 20 minutes at a time.
She wants to see an increase in awareness of the condition, and said: "It's so important for us to have things like this fifth anniversary because, I know when I first got it, I heard it was a long Covid awareness day, and I hadn't actually heard anything on the news at the time."
She explained how it's impacted her. “Something I do on a Monday could impact me on a Wednesday and I could end up in bed for days”.
Nicky told us how one of the best things she's embarked on her recovery journey was joining support groups, having people who understand her has helped enormously.
She said: “People listen, get you and understand and the value of that is immense”.
Nicky is now encouraging anyone else suffering with long Covid to join groups to gain support.
According the NHS website, long Covid is a new condition which is still being studied.
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