Shakila had fever and the chills and lost her sense of smell when she had Covid in December 2021. Since then, Shakila is always cold whereas previously she never felt the cold, even in the Winter. On a hot summer’s day she will have the heater on. Her elderly mother had Covid at the same time but she recovered.

Shakila has pain in her leg and back and feels more tired. She has less energy and sleeps more; if she walks a bit she feels tired.  She feels a bit better than the year before which she describes as “very horrible.” Her GP has prescribed medicine for pain and recommended she takes vitamins but she hasn’t been seen in person. She doesn’t like taking medicines and tries to fight it herself but these ongoing symptoms worry her.

She tries to rest when she can but she has to look after her son and mother. Shakila hasn’t told her son how unwell she feels but he helps her with the shopping and she tries to still be the mum she wants to be. She takes paracetamol for the body pains to help her keep going. Shakila is also her mothers’ carer; it is hard at times because her mother has dementia, so she can have bad moods and shout at her. To leave the house, Shakila has to ask her sister to stay with her mother. Shakila wants to be strong to care for her mother and son. She says, “even if I feel weaker, I try to do my things.”