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An Irish woman’s warning about the dangers of post-COVID-19 symptoms went viral.
On January 8, Rachel Gunn shared a message on social media, detailing her frightening experience with pulmonary embolisms (blood clots) in both lungs. Your post has been shared more than 5,000 times on Facebook and received over 41,000 likes on Instagram.
The 28-year-old Dubliner contracted COVID-19 in October last year and was bedridden for nearly two weeks. She was out of breath and had headaches and headaches. Gunn said he went back to work as soon as he felt “semi-happy”, but has never felt completely healthy since.
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“For three months I had fatigue, anxiety and stress was at a height and I felt pain in my lungs when exercising,” she wrote. “But [I] considered these normal post-COVID symptoms [and] He was able to spend the day almost normally and exercise a minimum. From what I read, I just had to continue and the symptoms would eventually subside. “
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), researchers are still determining the long-term impact of COVID-19 on the body. However, common long-term symptoms include coughing, shortness of breath and joint pain. Brain fog, as well as reports of depression, heart palpitations have also been reported, as well as more rare and more serious symptoms, such as inflammation of the heart muscle, abnormal lung functionality and acute kidney injury.
Gunn’s health deteriorated shortly before Christmas, when she said her health had dramatically deteriorated.
“For almost two weeks I was so breathless that I couldn’t even go up the stairs without feeling like I was running K, even getting up and going to the bathroom was exhausting,” wrote Gunn. “I had migraines, heart palpitations, back pain and extreme fatigue, I slept 15 to 16 hours a day and still needed to spend the whole day in bed.”
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Gunn said he first declined his mother’s requests to go to the hospital for fear of making “too much noise”. However, a CT scan later revealed that his lungs were “covered” with blood clots and that his heart had been “overloaded” with the virus.
Pulmonary embolisms occur when one of the main arteries of the lung is blocked, most often by blood clots. They manifest with shortness of breath, severe chest pain and cough and, unless treated immediately, can permanently compromise lung function and can be fatal.
“I was hospitalized for three days and started taking anticoagulants. Now I have to stay on anticoagulants for at least a year, maybe more, ”she explained. “I am now susceptible to blood clots and it will affect my life forever. I am 28 years old, I am active, I do not smoke and, otherwise, healthy. “
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Gunn asked friends to share his post in hopes that it would help raise awareness of the severity of post-COVID-19 symptoms – and possibly save a life.
“Please share this post, as I want to pass this on to anyone who is experiencing a worsening of the symptoms months after COVID, who does not ignore,” she pleaded. “Extreme shortness of breath should not be ignored. I was very lucky to have found out about my clots when I did. “
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