Amal
Amal developed Covid symptoms in September 2021 but tried to stop it from disrupting her studies. Amal was diagnosed with PoTS (postural tachycardia syndrome - an abnormal increase in heart rate that occurs after sitting up or standing) – which she found scary at first but has quickly adapted to. She feels that Long Covid has made a small rift in her family. Amal was interviewed in June 2022.
Amal is a 16-year-old student living with her mother and sisters. Ethnicity: British Pakistani.
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Amal developed Covid symptoms in September 2021 and started feeling really tired when she tried to walk to the bathroom. Amal felt that her heartrate was really high and had to take some time off of school because she couldn’t breathe properly. Amal’s mum made an appointment with their GP, who told Amal that she had PoTS (postural tachycardia syndrome - an abnormal increase in heart rate that occurs after sitting up or standing). Amal was scared at first by the name of her condition but felt better when the doctor explained what it was and that it was an after-effect of Covid. Amal didn’t expect to have any complications after Covid because she was “pretty healthy in general” but came to terms with PoTS pretty quickly.
Although her PoTS symptoms have started to get better, PE lessons made Amal’s symptoms worse. At first, Amal could barely do a “little jog” without becoming out of breath quickly. Amal used to be very active and felt that having Long Covid has stopped her from enjoying the vigorous exercise she used to stay active and relieve stress. Stress from her GCSEs also made Amal’s PoTS symptoms worse and she’s glad they’re now finished. Amal’s teachers were shocked at first but have been supportive, especially her PE teachers.
Amal told her friends about having PoTS and they were both supportive and nice. They joked together that “only [Amal] could have that… [she’s] so clumsy”. Amal’s symptoms also included headaches, chest pains, and dizziness. When she got dizzy, Amal would go and sit in the medical room at school for about ten minutes until she felt better and went back to class. Amal didn’t want to miss too much school because she liked learning and had already missed some school last year after she had surgery. Amal was supposed to have the surgery two or three years ago, but it was delayed due to the Covid pandemic.
Amal didn’t know that Covid’s effects could last for as many months as they have for her and she was shocked by it. She was interested to hear about Long Covid, especially in children and younger people. Other members of Amal’s family are also dealing with Long Covid, and it has placed a strain on their family life. Amal felt that the plan for people to take on more housework if they’re less tired has meant that some of them are doing “double” the work – and this sometimes caused a bit of a “rift”. Amal also said that people were eating alone in their room because they were too tired to get up for food, but Amal’s mum likes it when everyone sits down together.
Amal is optimistic that she’s getting better and is looking forward to going to study A-levels next year. Currently, she’s managing her PoTS symptoms by resting and taking warm showers. Amal didn’t get her Covid vaccine because she was busy studying and doing exams but isn’t worried about getting Covid anymore now that she’s already had it.
Teenager Amal felt that the hard thing about Long Covid was that you can’t do anything to cure it.
Teenager Amal felt that the hard thing about Long Covid was that you can’t do anything to cure it.
So, I think it was like a day or two after I had Covid, I started getting really tired just, like walking to like the bathroom, and I was like, okay maybe it could be that you know I just had Covid, I get told that you like get tired easily. So, I thought it was that but then, obviously at home we had that oxygen the oxygen whatever it was, and we checked it and my heartbeat was incredibly like high. And so then, I think like [umm] it got so bad that I even took like a couple of days off from school because I couldn't breathe properly as well. But then my mum made an appointment with the GP, and they said, oh you have postural tachycardia syndrome. Oh okay, we didn’t know this illness and their like oh it’s an after effects from Covid. So, then we found out what it was and then I just tried like – it was so hard because you can’t really do anything to like cure it if you get what I mean.
So basically, I was a bit like ha. Like what? I had never heard of it in my entire life. What is it? It sounded really fancy and I got a bit scared. I was like what postural tachycardia syndrome, that sounds very scary, but they explained it very well. Very nice of them. They were like it will stay for like a couple of months 100%, but she was like, do your best, don't do too much, like hard, vigorous exercise, don't do too much stuff, drink a lot of water and everything. I was like okay, yeah. So, I got better like. At first, I was really scared because I was like oh this sounds very like…very concerning. Like no, it's just like, you're going to be okay, it's nothing too bad, you'll be fine. I was like okay. I felt a bit better after that.
I can't remember exactly what he said, but he said it's not like a rare thing. This does happen to some people after Covid. It happens to people after Covid and I was like oh, because I didn’t really expect it because normally I'm pretty healthy in general. Like I didn't really expect to have a long side effect. I was a bit like, okay, this is a bit weird, but it was alright after like. When I first found out that I had it obviously, but it became alright after like. I came to terms with it, if you would say yes.
Was it the first time that you had heard that people could have long term effects from Covid?
I didn't have like short term effects, like two/three days, like feel tired, their legs would hurt, they’d feel a bit dizzy, but I didn't know like, as long as these many months I’ve already got effects would go on, so I was a bit like shocked and interested to hear about that. It was a bit, yes.
Yes, because I guess there wasn't much like the messaging about
Especially in children. I thought maybe like adults would have more like long term effects and I heard that children have it as well, I was like, okay that's kind of interesting.
Amal’s teachers and friends had never heard of PoTS but were ‘very supportive’.
Amal’s teachers and friends had never heard of PoTS but were ‘very supportive’.
Like you have what? One of my teachers were like, oh wait, say that again. What is that? And I was laughing ‘cause they were shocked, like they haven't heard of it before either. I was like, yes I was shocked too. They were like whatever, take it easy, don't do anything that you don't outdo yourself. If you want to try PE, try it. Sometimes I would try it and I wouldn't be able to do that. Okay, just take your time. We don't need to like rush into it like. Whatever makes you feel comfortable. ‘Cause this was around the same time that my dad went into hospital as well so they were like take your time, like you have time, you can do it and I was like. Yes. So, I took it very slow back then.
Yes, it sounds like they've been pretty supportive.
They were very supportive, especially the PE department.
Yes. That's good. And how did your friends react?
They started laughing at me [laugh]. They were like, that sounds so weird. Only you could have that. No wonder. You’re so clumsy. I was like guys stop it [laughs]. They were like laughing. Even in my class it was like you have what and they’d be so shocked. I’m like yes. Yes, that's the thing. It was funny. Even my teachers were laughing at me. I was like it’s not something I can control [laugh]. But you know they were very nice. They were very supportive, though.
Amal would sometimes get really dizzy on the playground at school ‘out of nowhere’.
Amal would sometimes get really dizzy on the playground at school ‘out of nowhere’.
Yes, but back then, even recently, recently they’ve gone down, but I used to get a lot of chest pain and very, very dizzy and at school, sometimes I would have to sit in the medical room just to like calm down a bit because it would get really bad. I'd be really, really dizzy on the playground out of nowhere. And I was like, oh this is really hurting now. Like and go like sit in the medical room for like 10/20 minutes and then I’d go back to class.
Yes, that sounds pretty scary, actually. Like, if you don't know what it is.
It was really weird because at first it was the heartbeat, they were like rising and I’d get very like breathless and I started getting like very dizzy, I was like okay let me just take it very like easy ‘cause I don’t want to make it worse or anything.
Amal said that she had a good explanation from the GP and understood that she would just have to rest and take time to recover.
Amal said that she had a good explanation from the GP and understood that she would just have to rest and take time to recover.
So, have you seen any other doctors or health professionals about the postural tachycardia syndrome?
No, it was just like a GP I’m pretty sure, that’s it because they explained it pretty clear - they explained it like pretty well, they were like it’s going to take time to heal, like it's not something for you to be too worried about, but they were like be careful, you know. Don't do anything too hard whatever. Like, okay, that's fine. They explained it pretty well, so they were very like helpful during that time, yes.