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An Irish woman’s warning about the dangers of symptoms after COVID-19 went viral.
On January 8, Rachel Gunn shared a message on social media outlining her frightening experience with pulmonary embolisms (blood clots) on both her lungs. Her post has been shared more than 5,000 times on Facebook and has garnered more than 41,000 likes on Instagram.
The 28-year-old Dubliner contracted COVID-19 in October last year and was bedridden for almost two weeks. She was out of breath and was experiencing pain and headaches. Gunn said she returned to work when she felt ‘semi-better’ but has never felt completely healthy.
SEE ALSO: ‘I could barely get to the bathroom without crawling’: living with lung cancer and COVID-19
“For three months I had fatigue, anxiety and tension through the roof, and I experienced lung pain when I exercised,” she wrote. ‘But [I] consider these normal post-COVID symptoms [and] I could go normal for half a day and do minimal exercise. From what I read, I just had to keep going and the symptoms would eventually ease. ”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), researchers are still determining the long-term impact of COVID-19 on the body. However, common long-term symptoms include cough, shortness of breath and joint pain. Brain fog as well as reports of depression, palpitations have also been reported, as well as rarer, more severe symptoms such as inflammation of the heart muscle, abnormal lung function and acute kidney injury.
Gunn’s health deteriorated shortly before Christmas when she said her health had dropped dramatically.
“For almost two weeks I was so breathless that I could not even go up the stairs without feeling like I was running K, even getting up and going to the bathroom was exhausting,” Gunn wrote. “I had migraines, palpitations, back pain and extreme fatigue, slept 15-16 hours a day and still had to spend the whole day in bed.”
SEE ALSO: Why deaths from cardiovascular disease increased during the pandemic
Gunn said she initially refused her mother’s requests to go to hospital for fear she would make ‘too much noise’. Later, however, a CT scan revealed that her lungs were “covered” by blood clots and that her heart was “strained” by the virus.
Pulmonary embolisms occur when one of the main arteries of the lung is blocked, usually by blood clots. They come with shortness of breath, sharp chest pain and cough, and unless treated immediately, it can permanently jeopardize lung function and can be life-threatening.
‘I was admitted for three days and started blood thinners. I have to stay on blood thinner for at least a year now, maybe more, ‘she explained. ‘I’m now prone to blood clots and it’s going to affect my life forever. I am 28 years old, active, non smoker, otherwise healthy. ”
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Gunn asked friends to share her message in the hope that it would help raise awareness for the severity of post-COVID-19 symptoms – and possibly save a life.
“Please share this message as I want to convey this to anyone experiencing an exacerbation of symptoms months after COVID so as not to ignore it,” she pleaded. ‘Extreme breathlessness should not be ignored. I’m extraordinarily happy to have found out about my blood clots. ‘
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