Original article from: CNN
It’s been five months since Lucy Gahan contracted Covid-19, and her life still hasn’t returned to normal.
Gahan, a clinical psychologist in Shrewsbury, United Kingdom, hasn’t been able to return to work.
The disease causes what she calls “storms,” disabling periods when she feels shortness of breath, numbness in her hands and feet and her heart rate shoots up from simple tasks. Even taking a shower is possible only during an occasional respite in symptoms.
LEFT VIEWPOINTS
- Despite the well-known dangers of COVID-19, many people still refuse to take reasonable precautions like wearing masks when social distancing is impractical. This is leading to tens-of-thousands of people getting sick and dying.
- As we pass 200,000 coronavirus deaths, we should also think about the far greater numbers that may have longterm illnesses as a result of COVID-19. According to the British Medical Journal, up to 10% of positive COVID-19 cases could become a long-hauler (long-term illness). There are approximately 7 million positive COVID-19 cases in the United States to date. If 10% suffer long term illness, then that means 700,000 of those people may be afflicted with severe health problems.
- This is all happening as millions of people are losing their jobs and their job-provided health insurance. This is the other crisis. The United States needs to consider some form of universal healthcare that does not depend on a job or welfare. Many of those who have longterm health damage will not qualify for affordable health insurance because of their pre-existing health conditions.