Symptoms of COVID-19 that few people talk about

There is a new important and useful thread on Twitter. It was written by Dani Oliver, who has been sick with COVID-19 for more than three months and has experienced symptomsnot reported by the CDC (US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). She shared her experience - a long and frightening story. Lifehacker prepared his translation.

Hey, so, I got # Covid19 in March. I've been sick for over 3 months w / severe respiratory, cardiovascular & neurological symptoms. I still have a fever. I've been incapacitated for nearly a season of my life. It's not enough to not die. You don’t want to live thru this, either. 1/

- Dani Oliver (@DaniOliver) July 3, 2020

I got sick with COVID-19 in March. I was ill for over three months with severe respiratory, cardiovascular and neurological symptoms. I still have a high fever. I dropped out of my life for almost a season. It's not about whether you can not die. Because you don't want to go through all this either.

I am not unique. Support groups have sprung up all over the internet because medical science doesn’t know what to do with the hundreds of thousands of Covid patients who don’t get better in the (utter and complete bullshit, and they know it) CDC guidelines of 2-6 weeks. 2/

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- Dani Oliver (@DaniOliver) July 3, 2020

My experience is not unique. More and more support groups are appearing on the web, because medicine does not know what to do with hundreds of thousands of patients with COVID-19 that you recover within the CDC allotted (and absolutely untrue) deadlines in 2-6 times weeks.

The CDC is also refusing to add widely-reported, terrifying symptoms to their lists. So here’s a grab bag of what patients like me are experiencing, so you know: Extreme tachycardia. My heart rate was once 160 while I was sleeping. Chest pain, like someone’s sitting... 3 /

- Dani Oliver (@DaniOliver) July 3, 2020

The CDC also refuses to add widespread and frightening symptoms to the official list. Therefore, I will tell you what I and many other patients have experienced on myself. First, a terrible tachycardia. My heart rate reached 160 in my sleep. Chest pain is as if someone is sitting on the chest.

... on your sternum. Back and rib pain like someone’s taken a baseball bat to your torso. Fatigue like you’ve never felt before in your life. Fatigue like your body is shutting off. Fatigue so bad that it would often make me cry because I thought it might mean I was dying. 4/

- Dani Oliver (@DaniOliver) July 3, 2020

Back and ribs hurt, like someone hit the torso with a baseball bat. Fatigue is stronger than you have ever felt in your life. Tired that your body is going to shut down. Fatigue, which made me cry a lot because I thought it meant I was dying.

GI problems, diarrhea to severe acid reflux. I had diarrhea every day for two + months. Unbearable nausea. Also: Inexplicable rashes. For me, little broken blood vessels all over my body. For many of us, a constant shortness of breath that doctors can’t find an explanation for. 5/

- Dani Oliver (@DaniOliver) July 3, 2020

Gastrointestinal problems: from diarrhea to acid reflux. I had diarrhea every day for over 2 months. Incredible nausea. Another incomprehensible rash on the skin. I also burst blood vessels all over my body. Also, many of us had strange shortness of breath that the doctors could not explain.

Neurological symptoms. I had delirium & hallucinations. Many report tingling all over their body, an internal “buzzing” or “vibrating.” Also, insomnia & chronic hypnic bodily jerks. One symptom so weird that I thought it was just me, but it turns out it’s so many of us... 6 /

- Dani Oliver (@DaniOliver) July 3, 2020

Now to the neurological symptoms. I had delusions and hallucinations. Many reported tingling all over the body, a “buzzing” sensation or vibration from within. Also insomnia and chronic twitching during sleep. One symptom was so strange that I thought it was me, but then I met it in others.

was waking up in the middle of the night, gasping for breath. I also experienced tremors while trying to sleep, like someone was shaking the bed. Also: many report a “hot head.” Mine literally radiated heat, despite not hitting a high fever. Then, there’s the confusion... 7 /

- Dani Oliver (@DaniOliver) July 3, 2020

I woke up in the middle of the night breathless. While trying to sleep, I felt a tremor, as if someone was rocking the bed. Also, many talk about "hot head". Mine literally radiated heat - although the temperature was not so high.

The “brain fog.” I couldn’t read or make sense of text at times. I couldn’t remember words. I'd stare at my partner at a loss for what I needed to communicate, or how to do it. Also: thickening of the blood, clotting. Weird, inexplicable changes to the menstrual cycle. 8/

- Dani Oliver (@DaniOliver) July 3, 2020

There was also confusion of thoughts, as if the brain was in a fog. At times I could not read something or understand what I was reading. I couldn't remember the words. Sometimes I looked at my partner and had no idea what it was like to communicate with people. In addition: increased blood viscosity, and its coagulability. Strange and unexplained changes in the menstrual cycle.

Everyone knows the lung stuff already, so I won’t elaborate. But it doesn’t just go away. I wake up every morning & when I breathe in, it feels like someone is crinkling plastic in my chest. And these are just the symptoms. I’m not even touching the physical damage done... 9 /

- Dani Oliver (@DaniOliver) July 3, 2020

I won't go into details about lungs because everyone knows about it. But they just didn't want to be treated. Every morning, when I woke up and tried to breathe in, it felt like someone had pushed plastic into my lungs. And these are just symptoms - I am not talking about the physical damage to the bodies and organs of patients.

… To patients ’organs and bodily systems. I'm also not touching the mental component of this, which is compounded by the very virtue of not knowing if it’ll eventually kill you. But long-term covid sufferers all report the same thing: that the recovery is non-linear. 10/

- Dani Oliver (@DaniOliver) July 3, 2020

I'm also not talking about the psychological side, where everything gets worse not knowing whether it will kill you in the end or not. But in the long run, everyone who has experienced it says the recovery is non-linear.

You’ll wake up feeling better and assume, like would be true for the flu or a cold, you’re on the mend. But then... you get worse. & then you’re feeling better again! & then you’re bedridden, worse than before. It makes no sense. You start to think you’re losing your grip... 11 /

- Dani Oliver (@DaniOliver) July 3, 2020

You will wake up feeling better and, like a cold or flu, assume that you are recovering. And then you get worse. And then - better again. And then you're bedridden again and you're worse off than you've ever been. It seems to you that you are losing control, or that this is all in your head.

or maybe it’s all in your head. It isn't. Thousands & thousands are experiencing these cycles. At some point, I realized that this was causing a trauma response in my body, which only seemed to worsen recovery. And I’m someone who’s learned over the years how to tend to... 12 /

- Dani Oliver (@DaniOliver) July 3, 2020

But this is not the case. Thousands of people go through these cycles. At some point, I realized that my body was reacting to this mental state as if it were trauma, which interfered with recovery. At the same time, I am a person who over the years has become accustomed to how to work on my psychological health.

their mental health needs pretty well. This experience is a whole other ball game. It is terrifying what it did to my mind. There are parts of the experience I am well aware I’ve blocked out in order to function, and times my partner has to remind me of things I’ve shut out. 13/

- Dani Oliver (@DaniOliver) July 3, 2020

But this experience is something on a completely different level. Scares what it did to my mind. I am clearly aware that some aspects of the past my brain simply blocked in order to be able to function further, and my partner sometimes reminded me of what happened in the moments when I disconnected.

There’s so much we don’t know - including if these physical damages are permanent or, for some, will lead to chronic illness. But one thing we do know is this isn’t the fucking flu. Those of you taking risks (yes, you in masks, as well), please, please weigh them against… 14 /

- Dani Oliver (@DaniOliver) July 3, 2020

There is so much we don’t know yet - including whether we will reverse the physical damage done to the body, or for some it will result in chronic illness. But one thing we do know is that this isn't a hell of a cold. Those who take risks (even you, those wearing masks), please weigh the risks - taking into account what I have told you.

… Experiences like mine. It’s not "well, a tiny fraction of people die, and most people are better in two weeks." This is simply untrue. So many of us have suffered for months. Ask yourselves: is going to get a coffee, or getting a haircut worth being debilitatingly ill... 15 /

- Dani Oliver (@DaniOliver) July 3, 2020

This is not "a small percentage of people die, but most people will recover in a couple of weeks." It is not true. Many of us have suffered for months. Ask yourself: is it so important to buy coffee or to cut your hair if the price falls out of life FOR MONTHS?

… For 4+ months of your life? Or, is it worth condemning someone else to this experience? Tending to your critical needs (grocery, medicine) is a necessary risk. So is fighting for the lives of others (protesting, organizing). But I promise you, the risk is too great... 16 /

- Dani Oliver (@DaniOliver) July 3, 2020

Is it worth it to infect someone for whom it would turn out to be such a nightmare? Meeting your immediate needs (food, medicine, treatment) is a necessary risk. The same applies to the struggle for other people's lives (protests and their organization).

… For a birthday party. Or a fucking bar night. Or visiting your fav restaurant. Good lord, I cannot stress this enough. Please. Wear a mask. Stay home as much as you can. And know that the recovery times associated with this illness are wrong. That people are suffering. 17/

- Dani Oliver (@DaniOliver) July 3, 2020

But it's too much of a risk for a birthday party. Or for a night at the bar. Or going to your favorite restaurant. God, I can't express how much it is important. You are welcome. Wear a mask. Stay at home as long as possible. And remember, the official recovery time is understated. People are really suffering.