2 years after initial illness, Orono woman still dealing with long COVID: "I didn't realize the after effects"
ORONO, Minn. — More than a million people in Minnesota have had COVID-19. Estimates show up to 30% of people who had it could be at risk for long COVID.
The Centers for Disease Control said it's broadly defined as symptoms that continue or develop after acute COVID infection.
One Orono woman says more than two years later, she still struggles daily with symptoms that doctors are still working to understand.
"I don't really remember anything before I went on the ventilator," April Stovern said. "I did text my husband and my pastor saying that Jesus came and stood by my bed."
When Stovern was hospitalized for COVID, she was so sick her doctors said they were surprised she recovered
"With the hospitalization and rehab was 42 days," she said.
She was discharged more than two years ago.
"I thought when I woke up and I came home from the hospital that everything was going to be OK. I didn't realize all the after effects," she said.
She's still dealing with the fallout from COVID. She's having trouble sleeping and is now dealing with autoimmune disease.
"It's really hard for me to find my words or they come out jumbled up. Some brain fog. Short-term memory, I can remember things growing up but I have a harder time remembering probably the last three years," Stovern said.
READ MORE: Minnesota surpasses 15,000 killed by COVID-19
"Even mild COVID can lead to a long COVID syndrome," pulmonologist Dr. Charlene McEvoy said.
McEvoy said disrupted sleep, anxiety, trouble focusing, unusual pains and shortness of breath can all be signs of long COVID.
If you're wondering if you may have it, ask yourself these questions: Did you have COVID? When did you have COVID? Do you feel like you're back to how you felt before you had COVID?
McEvoy said everyone is learning how to help people like Stovern.
"We're trying to think, OK, what are things we do know that we can treat and maybe mitigate?" she said. "And then it's like how do we treat these symptoms that these people have that are real?"
WCCO asked Stovern what doctors say about her situation.
"They say they don't know and we kind of just plug away one thing at a time," she said.
Stovern said her family and church have been huge supports. She hopes sharing her journey will help others, too.
"I'm thankful and I'm grateful that I'm alive and I'm here today," she said.
The Minnesota Department of Health has resources for understanding and finding support for long COVID symptoms
