Seeing out the fog

Science is slowly figuring out why debilitating symptoms linger so long for many after Covid. Meanwhile, the sufferers are largely on their own

- NICKY PELLEGRINO

In late 2020, life changed for Larisa Hockey. She and her three teenagers went from being outdoorsy people who enjoyed hiking, mountain biking and riding horses over their 300-ha property near Gisborne to not being able to get out of a car and walk a few metres. The entire family had caught Covid-19 that September, and only Hockey's husband escaped the post-viral syndrome that was slowly becoming known as long Covid.

"My son never got better and then my daughters and I slowly got worse and worse," recalls the 49-year-old. "At first, we tried to keep going, which is what a lot of people do, but your body says no, you're not doing anything else. The first year was spent mainly in bed. We had heart palpitations, dizziness and felt awful, like we had flu, all the time. We've gradually improved from there, but still have a long way to go.

"My son is now 19 and at university, but he has to be very careful with his energy and can't exercise. My daughters are 15 and 17. They can't work or study and spend most of their time resting. We can't go for walks on the beach, attend church or other social gatherings. It's a very isolating, scary condition."

Hockey has coped thanks to the support of her husband and a wide circle of friends and family. Connecting with other sufferers has been helpful too, and she started New Zealand's branch of the Long Covid Kids support group, which enables families with sick children ranging from toddlers to teens to share experiences and encouragement. She also belongs to a Facebook group that has led to the creation of a not-for-profit organisation, Long Covid Support Aotearoa.

"People from all walks of life have been brought together because of this condition," she says. "The difference that has made for me has been immense."