March 20th I woke up feeling sick, sore throat swollen glands, and sore lymph node. Quite hot to touch. I drank lemon water all day as my throat felt like it was closing. I tried menthol sweets, everything. Ears felt full and a couple of bleeding noses and headaches as if somebody was stabbing me, it was awful.

Days passed and I started feeling more nausea, and then diarrhea. I was very tired, tense muscles and anxiety on week 10 now and I still have nausea and not a great appetite – I went off coffee totally. Milk turns my stomach, lots of stomach problems with it. Tried Rennies and Gaviscon, but everything elevated my heart rate, I’m very sleepy and have aching muscles. Slightest exertion and heart rate goes up especially in the mornings I’m worse. I wish it would go away as I’m now fed up.

I just feel full of anxiety all the time and have hardly moved. I had few days where I thought I was feeling better but I’m back to square one. I feel like crap, I wasn’t tested as I couldn’t at that time. I can’t believe how long this is taking to go. Can’t say I ever had a raging fever, just very hot to touch and sweating badly. I did have the loss of smell and my tongue was so sore and coated, sounds disgusting. I’ve had to use meditation to stop the anxiety of it all.

I wish people would realize all the symptoms and how long you are fighting and GPS as well, apart from Paul Garner, he knows as he contracted it and told his story. They aren’t aware of all the symptoms in the UK; they say cough, fever, and loss of smell, don’t think so and all the rest.

 

Editor’s note: Paul Garner is a professor of infectious diseases at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine in the United           Kingdom. Prof. Garner’s story was published in The Guardian and it’s available here: Paul Garner