At 72 years old, Deidre Winnett has travelled the globe, having visited 37 countries and even climbing to base camp in the Himalayas. But when COVID-19 first struck her in 2021, her world drastically changed. Since then, she’s contracted the virus six times, leaving her with debilitating long COVID, with symptoms including breathlessness, extreme fatigue, and limb numbness.

At her worst, she could barely walk to the bathroom without feeling exhausted. The woman who once explored the world found herself unable to leave the house or meet friends and family. “I felt like I had nothing to give,” she recalled, “even the thought of getting dressed was overwhelming.” 

Deidre’s GP referred her to the NELFT long COVID service, which provides holistic assessments and tailored treatment programs for people like her. The condition is defined by the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) as ‘signs and symptoms that develop during or after an infection consistent with COVID-19, continue for more than 12 weeks and are not explained by an alternative diagnosis.’

There are many signs and symptoms that can be attributed to long COVID, these can vary significantly from person to person and the severity of which can fluctuate over time. They can include but are not limited to:  

• Extreme tiredness
• Shortness of breath
• Muscle and joint pain
• Difficulty concentrating/memory loss/confusion
• Loss of smell or taste
• Headaches
• Changes in sleep/difficulty sleeping  
• Worry/anxiety
• Fast heart rate 

The service became a lifeline to Deidre. The service provided a supportive environment where she could connect with others experiencing similar challenges. This peer connection was crucial in improving her mental health, helping her feel less isolated. She also learned specialised breathing techniques to help manage her symptoms when they became intense and frightening.

Today, she feels stronger and more hopeful than she has in years. Looking ahead, she is excited to be planning a trip to Thailand in April to watch her son het married, something she thought was impossible a couple of years ago. “This time last year, I couldn’t have imagined such a milestone, the long-COVID team have given me my life back.”

Jane Clark, Physiotherapy Clinical Lead said:  

“We’ve seen how the services’ interventions can make a huge difference in managing symptoms. Long COVID affects everyone differently, and our role is to provide tailored tools and strategies to help people regain their independence and quality of life. Seeing Deidre progress from struggling to walk short distances to preparing to travel again next year has been incredibly rewarding.”

To find out more about NELFT’s long COVID service, click here - Long COVID service