Amira
Amira caught Covid in July 2021 and has been suffering from loss of taste and smell and fatigue since. Due to her fatigue she has been finding it difficult to attend school, and is on a reduced timetable. Her symptoms have also made it difficult for her to see friends and do activities she enjoyed. Amira was interviewed in June 2022.
Amira caught Covid in July 2021 and now suffers from Long Covid symptoms. She is 15 and lives with her mother. Ethnicity: British Pakistani.
More about me...
Amira caught Covid from her mother on the 26th of July 2021. Her mother had been isolating with Covid when Amira caught it and began isolating with her. Since having Covid Amira has been experiencing Long Covid symptoms, including loss of taste and smell, and fatigue. She says, “I feel tired all the time, like I've no energy to like do things.” She also wakes up in the night and gets headaches.
Amira has seen a GP about her symptoms but she was told that they would get better by themselves and that she should take multivitamins. While Amira feels the vitamins have helped, she wishes they could have done more including giving her blood tests to see if they indicate if anything is wrong and can be fixed. She says that she feels scared that she’ll never get better.
Amira’s symptoms have caused issues for her at school as fatigue makes it difficult for her to attend. She is now on a reduced timetable that allows her to do half a day at school and half a day at home. However, despite her mum having a letter from the GP informing her teachers that she is unwell, some still insist she return to school full-time. Her teachers have informed her mother that she will be fined if Amira does not return to school full time. She feels that her teachers don’t understand and think she just does not want to attend. However, Amira likes school and is concerned about her GCSE exams next year and whether she will be able to do them while still dealing with Long Covid.
Amira’s Long Covid symptoms have had a knock-on effect on her friendships and her ability to do extracurricular activities. Due to being in school less, Amira no longer regularly sees her friends and although she still speaks to them on the phone, she does not have the energy to go see them in person. She feels this is pulling her away from her friends. Amira is also no longer able to go to the gym as often as she used to and go swimming, which she has done for years. Not being able to do the things she enjoys has made Amira very sad. Amira also feels her mum is sad about her symptoms and the issues surrounding her schooling.
Despite restrictions being lifted, Amira chooses to still wear a mask when going out, saying “I can wear a mask, like it’s my choice.” She also continues to socially distance and thinks that restrictions should not have been lifted until the virus was 100% gone as people are still getting ill. Amira has not yet got her vaccine due to her age and is deciding on whether she wishes to get it.
Amira found having Long Covid made her more anxious and would sometimes get panic attacks.
Amira found having Long Covid made her more anxious and would sometimes get panic attacks.
It’s like hard dealing with the anxiety and everything, and then the symptoms and tiredness and everything like that, and then when I have a panic attack, I go numb and get scared.
Amira felt pressure from some teachers to go back to school full-time and said she doesn’t think they understand the effect that Long Covid can have.
Amira felt pressure from some teachers to go back to school full-time and said she doesn’t think they understand the effect that Long Covid can have.
Could you tell me a little bit about how you're managing school? Like your schoolwork firstly: how’s that all going?
The schoolwork is like it’s OK, and I'm on a reduced timetable.
OK, why’s that?
Because... well, like because I'm tired a lot.
What does a reduced timetable look like?
I go half a day, and then stay there for half the day and then go home.
OK, do you go there for the morning and then come home?
Just like either, morning or afternoon.
And how have your teachers reacted to you being unwell.
They said it’s a big... like, they're slowly trying to get me back into school.
Have you had any problems with that?
Yeah.
What sort of problems have you had with the school?
It’s like…they want me to go like full time again, but like it’s hard for me.
Are there people who are supportive at school?
Yeah.
Who are they?
Like, my teachers.
Yeah, so do you feel like the teachers are supportive but it’s the school as a whole that is trying to get you back?
Some of the teachers, but like some of the teachers aren’t, because they're like they're telling my mum they're going to fine her if I don’t come back to school soon.
Really?
Yeah.
What... so... who? Explain this to me [chuckles]. So they're saying that they'll fine your mum if you don’t return to school?
Yeah, like if I don’t go back full time they're going to fine her.
Fine her for not—?
For me not going to school.
For you not going to school?
Yeah.
What do they call it, like a truancy situation?
Yeah.
That doesn't seem very fair.
Yeah.
Is your mum sort of working with the school to try and you know explain things to them?
Yeah, she’d got like a letter from the GP saying that like there was something wrong with me and like I've been sick and stuff, but they still don’t really understand.
That seems very, very difficult, like quite a difficult situation. What do you think about it? What do you think it is about Long Covid that they don’t understand?
I don’t think they understand the effect it has on you.
Since Amira has had Long Covid she doesn’t really see her friends anymore. She says “I feel like it’s putting me more away from them.”
Since Amira has had Long Covid she doesn’t really see her friends anymore. She says “I feel like it’s putting me more away from them.”
What about if you're not in school all the time, how’ve you been with your friends?
I don’t see them as much anymore. I talk to them on the phone and stuff but like I don’t really have the energy to go and see them.
So you probably wouldn't go after school to see them or on the weekends?
No.
OK, and I'm not sure if they would come over before Covid, but do they ever come over to see you?
Yeah, they do sometimes.
Yeah, do you feel like it’s affected your relationships with them?
I feel like it’s like putting me more away from them.
Yeah, in what way?
Like, I can't spend as much time with them anymore and like have friends.
Yeah, are they still doing all the things that they used to do?
Yeah.
Amira’s GP suggested multivitamins and she felt they could have offered more in the way of treatment. Her mum organised for her to get some counselling.
Amira’s GP suggested multivitamins and she felt they could have offered more in the way of treatment. Her mum organised for her to get some counselling.
Have you spoken with any doctors or any other health professionals about it?
Yeah, the GP.
Can you tell me a little bit about that?
They said that like they're going to...like, it gets better by itself.
That it gets better by itself?
Yeah.
Did they tell you what was wrong?
No.
Did they mention the words ‘Long Covid’ at all?
Yeah.
Who was that who said that to you?
The GP.
Okay, did they offer anything that you could do to manage it or anything like that?
They said I could have multivitamins.
Some vitamins?
Yeah.
What sort of vitamins did they recommend?
Like, multivitamins.
Okay, what did you think about that?
I thought it was a good idea, and like I've been having vitamins, but like it’s not really making a difference.
Yeah, and are you eating normally as well, I'm just thinking like with the vitamins?
Yeah, I am.
Yeah. Did they offer...did you get referred anywhere else?
No.
Did you...did they sort of say you know, ‘Come back and we’ll refer you somewhere,’ or anything like that?
No.
Did they give you a reason—well firstly I guess, did you ask for a referral or did you know that there was somewhere you could be referred?
No, I didn't.
Okay, and so did they give any reason like why they weren't going to refer on anywhere?
No.
Just that it got better by itself?
Yeah.
Okay, how do you think how do you think your mum felt about that?
She was upset.
And how often are you seeing the GP about it?
I just saw the GP once about it.
Okay, yeah. Was there anything helpful, unhelpful about the way that the GP talked to you about it?
I think the vitamins helped a bit, but like I think they could have done more.
Yeah. What would an ideal GP visit have been like?
Like, if they would have gave a blood test or something.
Yeah, why a blood test?
Because maybe like something else was wrong.
And why do you think a blood test would show that?
Because like it would show like everything that’s like in my blood and like if anything was wrong they could have like fixed it.