- Quote: ‘I feel physically fit but sometimes I’ll stand up from the couch to walk to the kitchen – and I’m out of breath. In spite of all this, you just crack on’
By Andrew Atkinson Exclusive
Biobank staff of the Fisabio Foundation took blood samples from volunteers to undertake research for those who have ‘long-covid’ – which includes over 200 symptoms.
The Welcome of Health collected blood samples from patients for research within the Valencian Community, under the Biobanco for biomedical and public health research of the Fisabio Foundation.
Long-covid affects one in five people who have suffered Covid-19, with ailments including fatigue, joint pains and ‘mental fog’ the latter preventing concentration.
Long-covid can onset three months after being diagnosed with coronovirus.
Criteria for volunteers to donate blood was to have had symptoms of long-covid between 4-12 weeks after contagion by SARS-COV-2.
Patients must have been diagnosed as Covid-19 positive by valid tests, including PCR/ antigen tests, or through a clinical diagnosis made by a registered doctor.
In Alicante, the Biobank network took blood samples on November 15 at the General Hospital of Alicante.
Long-covid insight
In an Exclusive interview with the Costa Blanca and Costa Calida Leader newspaper long-covid sufferer Ray Adderley gave an insight to the conditions.
“I first contracted covid at the beginning of September 2020, the symptoms were very severe for me.
“I had all the symptoms you read about, plus a migraine (my very first) that lasted a week, also I really tried not to cough as much as possible, because when I did, I couldn’t breathe (literally) for 10-20 seconds.
“It was scary stuff, that all lasted about 16 days for me. Obviously, you think that’s it – and you’ll just crack on – but over the next few months I noticed these pains in my chest, the centre, my rib cage on either side and in my back.
“I was just constantly tired, I went to A&E and was there maybe nine hours. They took my blood, gave me an ECG, chest x-ray, etc.
“After all that, I was told I had long covid. I’d never heard of it. The doctor they sent to tell me had it himself. ‘What’s the treatment?’ I asked. ‘We’re not sure yet’ came the reply. Essentially – go home and grin and bear it,” said Ray.
Manchester born Ray, who visited Dona Pepa on holiday this summer, added: “I have been this way since, and I’m sat here – with pains up the right side of my ribcage.
“Since December last year, I have attended the hospital three times for various things; ECG, a stress test, another visit for the pains in the centre of my chest and I’m still awaiting an echocardiagram.
“Their diagnosis so far is that my heart is fine, my lungs have scarring – but essentially I’ll be fine.
“I don’t feel fine, to try and combat the fatigue and the scarring, I cycle eight miles a day, run for four miles, and do Yoga three times a week.
“The strange part is I feel physically fit – BUT sometimes I’ll stand up from the couch to walk to the kitchen – and I’m out of breath.
“In spite of all this, you just crack on. I’ve asked for an MRI as I’ve been doing a lot of reading and cardiomyopathy can be one of the side effects of long covid, apparently, but it needs an MRI to show up, so I’ve read.
“The very worst part though? Food! I still can’t taste or smell certain things. If it’s fresh or fruit and veg, I’ve got half a chance.”
