Jessica

Age at interview: 23

Brief Outline:

Jessica caught Covid around Christmas 2021 and began experiencing Long Covid symptoms a week later. Due to her symptoms, she had to leave university and return home. Her symptoms have somewhat improved and she is able to do basic tasks for herself again. Jessica was interviewed in June 2022.

Jessica is 23 and caught Covid around Christmas 2021. She was at university when her symptoms began and returned home as a result. She lives at home with her parents’ assistance. She became well enough to visit and stay with her boyfriend for a period of time; however, it was not a long-term adjustment.

More about me...

Jessica caught Covid around Christmas 2021, and at the time only experienced a sore throat and cough, which she recovered from after 6 days. Jessica reported feeling better for a week before she began to feel tired and struggle to do anything. She continued to experience tiredness for the first three months after having Covid, which left her stuck in the house and struggling to complete university work.

Jessica’s Long Covid symptoms included fatigue and pain in her legs and joints which impacted her ability to walk upstairs and stand more than 15 minutes. She also experienced difficulty concentrating and tachycardia (increased heart rate). Despite her symptoms, Jessica attempted to go back to university after Christmas break but had to return home with her mother when her fatigue made it impossible for her to live by herself. Upon returning home, Jessica became dependent on her mum to help her. She feels her relationship with her mum changed due to this because her mum completely changed her life to care for her.

Jessica’s friendships have also been affected by her symptoms because, although her friends have been supportive, Jessica feels they're “living the life I would be living” and don’t completely understand how her symptoms affect her. Jessica feels because she looks visibly well, they don’t understand how difficult it is for her and often compare her to someone else they know who has recovered from Long Covid. Jessica’s symptoms made it difficult for her to complete her university work, so she chose to have her degree title changed to allow her graduate without needing to continue studying.

Jessica has also received formal care for her symptoms. On an occasion when Jessica felt faint and experienced difficulties with her oxygen levels, she attended A&E for care. Jessica recalls them testing her lung and heart function and not finding anything wrong with her, but thought her symptoms were potentially Long Covid. When she contacted her GP about her symptoms, Jessica was told there was nothing they could do until the 12-week mark when they would be able to refer her to a Long Covid clinic. At 12 weeks, Jessica was referred and is thankful for the help she got from her GP who had the paperwork ready to be sent as soon as it turned 12 weeks. Since being referred to the clinic, Jessica has been referred to a psychologist, neuropsychologist, and occupational therapist. She has not been seen in person as the clinic is located in her university city and it is hard to get to from where she now lives.

Jessica feels her symptoms have improved and is now able to do basic tasks like cooking simple meals for herself. She still lives at home with her parents’ assistance. She became well enough to visit and stay with her boyfriend for a period of time; however, it was not a long-term adjustment.

Jessica’s university was able to support her to finish her Master’s degree.

I was continuing to do my university work until about the middle of April when I realised my concentration was just not up to being able to continue. I was looking at stuff I could understand like four months before and I just had no idea what was going on and using like my mind on trying to understand and it was just making me even more tired than I already was, so I contacted the university and asked what would happen if I stopped doing any work. I was told... so I’m on an integrated master’s course and I was told if I stopped doing work I could just leave with a BA or I could try and continue and then get a... like, a medical exemption and graduate with a... a different type of master’s degree, which is what I've ended up doing. So, I've basic... I... I've basically stopped doing work, I sent in some medical evidence and I've been awarded my master’s even though I'm not sitting exams or handing in coursework, so I got quite lucky in that regard. Yeah.

Jessica’s future plans with Long Covid are uncertain, as ‘everything’s just kind of gone out the window.’ She finds it hard when comparing her situation with her friends’, who are ‘living their best lives.’

So, I didn't have an exact plan, I hadn’t applied for jobs because I'd wanted to focus on my studies. I was planning to take some time out after uni to travel and maybe do some part-time work in order to fund my travel and then apply for jobs in September to start the year after that. But I'm not sure I could interview for a job, and get the job, and I'm not sure that I could do part-time work in order to fund the travels, and I'm not sure I could travel by myself, so everything’s just kind of gone out the window and it’s just...I'm just trying to plan a few months at a time now just to...or a month at a time and see how...where I am there then, but yeah.

 

Yes, I'm fortunate enough that I don’t have to worry about it on a day-to-day thing. I'm able to like live at home with my parents and it’s not too much of a financial strain, but it’s...I mean obviously for my future it’s setting me back quite a way, like lots of my friends are moving out now, or they're moving out in a year’s time, and I can’t see myself being in a position that I'd be able to do that which is...it’s a bit sad, like I'm seeing everyone like live their best life like in apartments with friends and I just don’t know at what point I’ll be able to do that.