Paul caught Covid at the end of March 2020. Paul developed tightness around the chest but didn’t have a cough, a more recognised symptom of the time. Testing was not available at this stage of the pandemic. Paul suspects his wife and daughter also had Covid then but had mild symptoms. Paul recovered initially from Covid after a week but then soon began to feel ill again. At the time the government were talking about symptoms of Covid only lasting 10 days, but in May he discussed the idea of Long Covid with an acquaintance, who was also still experiencing ongoing symptoms. For Paul, the idea that his symptoms would get worse and last for over two years was unthought of at the time.

The impact of Paul’s Long Covid symptoms on the family has meant “expectations about what I can do and what we can do together, you know, there’s been some difficult moments.” Paul was a very fit and active dad before Covid – climbing mountains and lots of outdoors experiences and “that’s all changed, you know, overnight really….at the moment I can only walk for about five minutes.” He has had to adapt his life. During the pandemic they got a puppy and now just his wife and daughter go out walking together, but he meets them at the end in the car. Paul said in the past he may have defined himself by the things that he could do, and it did lead him to question what he was contributing to the family, but he advises “Try and keep talking to [laughs] the people close to you,” and to be open with your friends and family.

Paul’s workplace have been extremely supportive, and his illness didn’t initially affect him financially – initially he was signed off sick for five months – then in September 2020 he began a very gradual phased return, “And I’m absolutely convinced that their flexibility and support permitted me to make them, allowed me to make the recovery that I did make from September 2020 through to May/June 2021.” At times Paul has overdone it at work and this has held back his recovery. He is “pretty sure that’s why I am where I am now.”

Over time Paul’s symptoms have included muscle fasciculation (a brief spontaneous contraction of the muscle), post-exertional malaise (PEM) (the worsening of symptoms following even minor physical or mental exertion), tinnitus, sleep problems, extreme fatigue, and neurological problems as well as brain fog and chest pain.

Paul has had a number of medical investigations over the last few years, but his results were always normal and see himself as lucky that “No-one ever said to me: ‘This is in your head you’re making it up, I don’t believe you,’” and that the health professionals treating him have always treated his symptoms seriously. He is currently on a pulmonary rehabilitation programme and has accessed a Chronic Fatigue Service for physio and mental wellbeing services and support. Paul believes in a holistic wellbeing approach and thinks nutrition and positivity are important to recovery – this approach is something he knows the NHS is not currently very good at: “if there’s not an obvious medical explanation then they don’t really know what to do with you [laughs].”

Paul advises people “to be compassionate and kind to yourself- psychologically it’s important to, if possible, get into a positive mind-set.” Moving forward Paul wants to “build back in a more balanced way” and prioritise his own health, well-being and his family.