“A lot of the patients are reporting similar symptoms: fatigue, dyspnea, this persistent loss of taste or smell, but many patients are experiencing just a wide range of symptoms that I wasn't really expecting such as hair loss, changes in menstrual cycles, for instance,” she said. “Most interesting too, was the exercise and tolerance. A lot of patients described that after they exercise, they get this debilitating amount of fatigue.”
Godwin hasn’t been able to run like he did before he got sick early last year. He traveled internationally and when he got home to Colorado in February, he had cold symptoms but there were no swabs for COVID-19 tests. He’s since tested negative for antibodies, but his doctors are confident he had the virus and is now suffering its after effects.
The symptoms aren't just physical. There's also mental and emotional trauma
Ty Godwin
While the fatigue can be debilitating and his restless legs irritating, Godwin says the mental impact of this syndrome is draining.
“I cry way more than I should at my age because the emotions hit you,” he said. “Am I going to be around for life events? I have a lot more thoughts about my mortality and the depression is real.”
He wonders if he’ll be around to walk his daughter down the aisle one day, and he worries about finances. He went from a high-paying job in the tech world to living off disability benefits. The money stress and his health are also hard on his wife.
“She's been my rock. I mean it, but it's hard on her too. She's human,” Godwin said. “There's definite moments of panic or, you know, obvious concern on her part when you got a mortgage and you're not sure if your husband's going to go back to work or when.”
Godwin’s not alone in feeling the toll on his mental health. More than one in three adults has reported symptoms of anxiety or depressive disorder since May 2020 in the U.S. Compared to the first half of 2019, about one in 10 adults reported those same symptoms. For long haulers, the rates are even higher.
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February 25, 2021 at 06:01PM
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1 Year Later, Doctors Are Still Trying To Understand COVID-19's Long Term Physical And Emotional Effects - Colorado Public Radio
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