How long Covid still keeps lives on hold 5 years after the pandemic began

Two victims describe lingering, debilitating symptoms that keep them from reclaiming their lives; WHO expert describes barriers to diagnosis

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Andrea Vanek in Vienna, Austria, with medicine she takes for long Covid, a condition in which patients fail to recover fully from the acute phase of Covid infection. Photo: AFP

Published: 3:22pm, 20 Dec 2024

Three years ago, Andrea Vanek was studying to be an arts and crafts teacher when spells of dizziness and heart palpitations suddenly made it impossible for her to even take short walks.

After seeing a succession of doctors, she was diagnosed with long Covid and even now spends most of her days in the small living room of her third-floor flat in the Austrian capital, Vienna, sitting on the windowsill to observe the world outside.

“I can’t plan anything because I just don’t know how long this illness will last,” the 33-year-old says.

The first cases of Covid-19 were detected in China in December 2019, and a global pandemic followed.

More than seven million deaths from Covid-19 have been reported to date, according to the World Health Organization. But millions more have been affected by long Covid, which occurs when people struggle to recover from the acute phase of Covid-19. They suffer symptoms including tiredness, brain fog and shortness of breath.

Andrea Vanek in her flat in Vienna, Austria. Three years ago, she was struck down by long Covid. Photo: AFP

Vanek tries to be careful not to exert herself to avoid another “crash”, which for her is marked by debilitating muscle weakness and can last for months, making it hard to even open a bottle of water.