Coming to Terms with Long COVID: Deepa’s Story

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This is the first comic in a series about long COVID. The series features King County residents and providers sharing their experiences with the long-lasting symptoms and conditions that can follow an infection with COVID-19. Thank you to Deepa Sivarajan for sharing this story.

Deepa, a person with long, curly black hair and deep brown skin, holds a mug and talks into a phone. A tissue box and positive COVID test sit on side table. Text: I had a pretty mild case of COVID. Those symptoms didn’t last long. Deepa says: “No, Amma. It’s just cough and sore throat. No fever.”
Deepa lying in bed, eyes closed and hand on head. Text: But later, I started to have fatigue, headaches, nausea and lightheadedness. I had to take time off work.
Deepa packing a box. Deepa’s father with grey hair and glasses stands behind, holding a box. Text: Deepa packing a box. Deepa’s father with grey hair and glasses stands behind, holding a box. Father: “Doing OK, Deepa?” Deepa: “A little tired, but I’m only packing, not lifting.”
Deepa in bed, eyes closed. Deepa’s mother, with short white hair and glasses, looks worried. She holds a bowl and touches Deepa’s hair.Text: But the day after the move, my body crashed. It felt totally disproportionate to how much energy I expended. I was in bed for over 2 months. Even sitting up was hard. It was a huge setback. Mother: “Do you feel up to eating?”
Deepa wears a mask and wears a hospital smock. A doctor in a white coat and mask with blond hair in a ponytail talks to Deepa. A heart monitor is in the background. Text: Months later, I finally got an appointment at the Harborview long COVID clinic when someone else cancelled. It’s a really great resource, bringing together doctors from a lot of specialities. But they’re super backed up. The doctor says: “A sleep study and the heart test will help rule out things that could make your condition worse.”
Deepa lies in bed with a laptop on a special desk made for beds. Text: January 2024. The lightheadedness has basically gone away. But I have a very high resting heart rate and my nervous system is confused about what’s going on. I work remotely part-time now, and only in the mornings. In the afternoon, I need to sleep.
Deepa wears a mask and lying down. A physical therapist in a mask helps her lift her leg. Text: Physical therapy helped me learn my body’s boundaries. I learned how to build strength without triggering a crash. I can walk short distances.Physical therapist: “This will strengthen your core to make it easier to sit up.” Deepa's thoughts: “What will I do when insurance stops paying for PT next month?”
Deepa looking out a window. Text: Life is completely different now. I used to live independently. I’m lucky to have my parents’ support. I can’t cook, I can’t clean. I get up and do my 4 hours of work. Deepa: “I don’t leave the house much.”
Deepa looking at an iPad that has photos of friends at a party. Text: It’s hard to stay in touch with people who aren’t in my immediate circle. It’s not like people stopped caring about me, but they don’t know what I’m going through. Deepa's thought bubble: “It’s weird knowing that other people are having a life.”
Deepa, a friend, and Deepa’s sister cheering at a Seattle Reign match. They all wear masks and Reign gear. Deepa holds a Reign scarf above her head. Text: I do still love women’s soccer. I’ll still go to see an evening soccer match, but it means I’ll crash the next day.
Close up of Deepa talking. Deepa: “I’ve come to terms with what COVID has done to my body. I’d like it to get better, but I can accept it if it doesn’t."
Deepa is talking inside a Zoom window on a computer monitor. Deepa: “But I’m constantly worried about getting it again. I don’t feel safe in a world where people aren’t getting boosters, even those who go the first shot. The pandemic isn’t over and that’s still the biggest problem in my life.”

Deepa provided these recommendations for resources about long COVID:

  • The Long COVID Survival Guide – a great series of essays by long COVID survivors, health care providers, public health specialists, and more
  • The Sick Times – a site that tracks everything long COVID-related, including a helpful e-newsletter
  • The People’s CDC – COVID protection advocacy organization that organizes for both COVID protections and for long COVID research and treatment
  • Reporting by Ed Yong, who won a Pulitzer for his reporting on COVID – his articles are linked on his site (including PDFs for paywalled articles), and he has an e-newsletter
  • Reporting by Julia Doubleday, including her e-newsletter The Gauntlet

Preventing long COVID

Anything you can do to reduce the risk of getting COVID in the first place and decrease the risk of severe disease will also reduce the risk of long COVID. So that means:

  • Keeping up with COVID-19 vaccinations.
  • Using all the protective measures, especially in crowded situations, like wearing well-fitting masks and making sure there is good air flow in rooms.
  • Even if you had previous infection and never got long COVID, it is important to take precautions because long COVID can still occur during re-infection.
  • Testing early and if you are eligible, getting treatment if you get infected with COVID-19.

Other long COVID stories 

This comics series features King County residents and providers sharing their experiences with the long-lasting symptoms and conditions that can follow an infection with COVID-19. Other stories in the series:

“Just because you can’t see symptoms…”: A story from a Long COVID Clinic – PUBLIC HEALTH INSIDER

They Don’t See the Crash: Jesse’s Long COVID Story – PUBLIC HEALTH INSIDER

Comic by Meredith Li-Vollmer. Originally posted on March 5, 2024.