‘I had a lot of dizziness’: Montreal resident shares his suffering with Long Covid for three years

The coronavirus pandemic changed us. It impacted us in ways we don't even realise. Millions across the world were affected and lost their lives ever since the coronavirus infection spread and was declared a public health emergency of international concern in January 2020. Bereaved family members have reported psychological distress and symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress. But that's not it, Covid continues to affect us. Some of us are still suffering it, in the form of Long Covid. 

Firstly, let's understand what is Long Covid. It is defined as a chronic condition that occurs after SARS-CoV-2 infection and is present for at least three months, sometimes more than a year and sometimes even more than that. 

A Montreal resident shared his story with WION. He talked about his journey describing the challenges he faced living with Long Covid for three years. Marc-Olivier Vinet, who hails from Quebec, had been living with Long Covid symptoms for more than three years. 

"I had a lot of dizziness. I couldn’t continue to drive because even just walking, doing sports… everything… I was just dizzy," said Marc. 

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Researchers have found that people who have recovered from Long Covid can suffer relapses or flare-ups from new viral infections, it can even be from cold, flu and other viral pathogens. 

The most common symptoms of Long Covid include extreme tiredness (fatigue), feeling short of breath, problems with your memory and concentration, heart palpitations, dizziness, joint pain and muscle aches. In some cases, symptoms like loss of smell, chest pain or tightness, depression and anxiety have also been reported. 

Marc, who grew up as an athlete, was first diagnosed with the virus in March of 2020, and had mild symptoms for about 10 days but eventually felt like himself. But the virus came back nearly a year later in 2021. He said he felt so ill that eventually he had to take a semester off from university and move back in with his parents. 

In the aftermath of his second diagnosis of Covid, Marc said, "After a couple of weeks, I started to feel really really tired. I thought oh maybe I caught another virus, but the feeling of tiredness never went away. I started having palpitations. I was also unable to do sports at that time because I was out of breath." 

From consulting his family doctor to getting opinions from a physiotherapist, cardiologist as well as a neurologist, Marc said he visited at least 10 different medical professionals. 

But nothing helped. The experts were only able to investigate the problems as individual health concerns. But then he came in contact with Canadian physician Dr Adeel Khan, who is the CEO and Founder of Eterna Health. Dr Khan said that because Long Covid is not a system-based problem, hence, it isn't affecting just one organ. 

"There's no specialist in the traditional model that can assess multiple organs. You need a doctor who understands the whole body and how it is integrated and connected to one another to treat Long Covid," said Dr Khan. 

Also read: Air pollution leads to rise in cases of respiratory infections like influenza. What are preventive measures? 

Marc said he had investigated regenerative medicine and chose a new exosome and peptide therapy at Eterna Health, which helped him immensely. He started feeling like himself again after only a few weeks. 

"I go to all of my classes. Brain fog has practically disappeared. Just being able to do sports again, being active, seeing friends… it's just amazing," said Marc. 

Regenerative medicine can be defined as the process of replacing or "regenerating" human cells, tissues, or organs to restore or establish normal function. However, the same therapy doesn't need to help other people the same way and an expert's advice is required. Testing and diagnosis are key factors in determining the Long Covid cases and analysing the course of treatment. 

Long Covid cases worldwide

Researchers are trying to solve the mystery of Long Covid, even while it is extremely difficult to ascertain the exact number of Long Covid cases across the world because of under or over-reporting. 

A review article published in 2023 in Nature Reviews Microbiology found that at least 65 million people have had Long Covid worldwide and that is likely an underestimate. However, the estimate was refuted by The Lancet as it called out the method in an article published this year on March 23, 2024. 

The report titled, 'The importance of reporting accurate estimates of long COVID prevalence', stated the researchers agree that "more work is needed to recognise, treat and support patients with Long Covid, underpinned by high-quality, coordinated, multidisciplinary research. Perpetuating scientifically invalid estimates of Long Covid burden undermines this mission," the article said. 

Disclaimer: Please note that the information provided is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.