After 2 years, these Winnipeggers say their lives are still affected by long COVID

Katie Kitchen used to work out five days a week. 

Now she worries taking too long a walk could leave her fatigued for days.

What she calls "crashes" are among the realities the 35-year-old has lived with since developing long COVID more than two years ago.

"When I have a crash, my whole body just feels like it's being weighted down by sandbags," said Kitchen.

"Your whole body just feels so heavy. I get really bad aches though my whole legs, and honestly, the only thing you can do during a crash is sit or lie down in total silence." 

There's no way to predict when one of those crashes will come or how long it will last, she said.

"Like everything long COVID, it just shows up." 

Kitchen tested positive for COVD-19 in December 2020 and never fully recovered. 

"People look at me and say, 'Well, you look fine,' which I think is probably a compliment, but it is very much an invisible illness and an illness that's still not well understood by the medical community."

Fatigue, shortness of breath and cognitive issues like memory loss are among the list of more than 200 reported symptoms of long COVID, also known as post-COVID-19 condition. 

Researchers are working to find out more about the illness, including how many people are affected by it and how long they experience symptoms. 

A December report from the Office of the Chief Science Advisor of Canada said as of August 2022, more than 1.4 million people in Canada — about 15 per cent of adults who had contracted COVID-19 at that point — said they experienced symptoms three months or more after their initial infection.

When Marylynn McLeod gardens, she often sets a timer to remind her to rest after an hour, out of fear she too could experience a crash. 

Long COVID has left the 56-year-old struggling with symptoms that include fatigue and problems with her memory and speech.