Maurielle Lue, a host for Fox 2 Detroit, experienced a challenging battle with COVID-19, leading to a range of persistent symptoms known as long COVID. Her journey sheds light on the complexities of this condition, including its impact on daily life, memory, sense of taste and smell, and subsequent weight loss. This article explores Lue's experiences and delves into the broader context of long COVID, offering insights into its symptoms, potential causes, and the ongoing quest for effective treatments.
The Initial Impact of COVID-19
In the spring of this year, Maurielle Lue contracted COVID-19, necessitating hospitalization. While she eventually recovered enough to be discharged, her journey was far from over. The early weeks of her recovery seemed promising, marked by numerous doctor's appointments, a small price to pay for being out of isolation and back at home. However, this optimistic outlook began to fade around six weeks into her recovery.
The Emergence of Long COVID Symptoms
Lue began experiencing a constellation of symptoms indicative of long COVID. Even after leaving the hospital, it initially took her two weeks to build the confidence and lung capacity to walk up a single flight of stairs. Weeks later she noticed she was suddenly more winded than ever and experiencing some Covid-like symptoms that she never experienced with her initial diagnosis. Twelve steps down a hallway and her heart would beat so heavily, she could hear it in her ears and physically see her heart beating through her chest. Her Apple Watch would congratulate her for completing a full workout, when all she had done was take a few steps from the couch to the kitchen.
Cognitive Impairment: "Brain Fog"
One of the most debilitating symptoms Lue faced was "brain fog," characterized by cognitive distortion and difficulty with memory and focus. She has been driving to FOX 2 for almost 10 years, now she use navigation to drive to the office because sometimes she forget how to get to the studio. It feels impossible to complete a simple task without getting distracted enough to forget entirely what she was doing. Important names, dates and special memories for now are all gone. I am praying they come back. I have no recollection of last Christmas or the last time I saw my family. Intellectually, I know It was in May, but I don't remember it. I see pictures of myself out with friends or at an event and am instantly confused because I don't recall anything about the evening or why I wore that sweater. She knew it was more than forgetfulness when she couldn't remember if she had fed her dog. She tried to come up with tricks to remind herself to feed him, she tried to make charts and notes but nothing worked. She second guessed herself so much that she ended up over-feeding her dog!
Altered Sense of Taste and Smell
Lue also experienced significant changes in her sense of taste and smell, a common symptom of long COVID. She described a bowl of soup as tasting like hot bananas, and a recurring odor that smelled like cat urine. "I have a cat, so naturally I thought my cat had finally taken her revenge for getting a dog," she wrote in an article for Fox 2 Detroit. "I scurried out of grocery and department stores, dry heaving at the cat smell odor so strong I could taste it." After around a month, Lue realized that she was the only one who could smell it. You want to shock your brain? Try eating tomato soup that tastes like hot bananas. Imagine a piping hot plate of your favorite food coming to the table, you lean for a big whiff and nearly lose it because all you can smell is that very pungent - very specific - stench of cat urine.
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Weight Loss and Nutritional Challenges
As a consequence of these symptoms, Lue experienced weight loss and nutritional challenges. She started losing weight. I had zero appetite and even though I never lost my sense of taste or smell when I had Covid, suddenly my sense of taste came in waves. The self-proclaimed queen of sugar could no longer stomach a cookie or a piece of cake. It was not a healthy decision, but I often went days without eating, I just wasn't hungry - nothing tasted the same. Nothing smelled the same.
Fatigue and Chronic Pain
Fatigue and chronic pain are two symptoms attributed to long Covid, but those words don't feel severe enough. When I first returned to work I was so happy to be back with my friends and doing what I loved. However, I quickly realized nothing would be the same. There were days that I would have no choice but to get back in the bed before the day even started because just getting dressed for work completely wiped me out. More often than not, I wake up with limbs that feel so heavy I think my knees will buckle with every step. The muscle stiffness and joint pain are so severe that I can only describe the experience as "early onset rigor mortis".
Impact on Daily Life and Well-being
The constellation of symptoms significantly impacted Lue's daily life and overall well-being. She stopped taking phone calls because I couldn’t hear the person talking to me over the ringing in my ears. The more I longed to get back to my old self, the more I felt like a shell of who I used to be. I would plan social experiences with friends only to feel so fatigued that I was physically incapable of getting out of bed.
Understanding Long COVID
Long COVID, also known as post-COVID-19 syndrome, is a condition characterized by persistent symptoms that continue for weeks or months after the initial COVID-19 infection. Symptoms for Long Haul Covid range from shortness of breath, anxiety and depression to organ damage and short term memory loss. The condition can affect various organ systems and manifest in a wide range of symptoms, making diagnosis and treatment challenging.
Potential Causes and Risk Factors
The exact causes of long COVID are still under investigation, but several potential mechanisms have been proposed, including:
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- Persistent viral reservoirs: The virus may persist in certain tissues or organs, triggering ongoing inflammation and immune activation.
- Immune dysregulation: The immune system may become dysregulated, leading to chronic inflammation and damage to healthy tissues.
- Autoimmunity: The body may produce antibodies that attack its own tissues, resulting in autoimmune-like symptoms.
- Microvascular damage: COVID-19 can damage small blood vessels, leading to impaired oxygen delivery and organ dysfunction.
Risk factors for developing long COVID are not fully understood, but some studies suggest that the severity of the initial infection, the presence of certain pre-existing conditions, and female sex may increase the risk.
Diagnostic Challenges
Diagnosing long COVID can be challenging due to the wide range of symptoms and the lack of specific diagnostic tests. Doctors typically rely on a combination of medical history, physical examination, and symptom evaluation to make a diagnosis.
Management and Treatment Strategies
Currently, there is no single cure for long COVID. Management strategies focus on alleviating symptoms and improving quality of life. Treatment approaches may include:
- Symptom-specific medications: Medications to manage pain, fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, and other symptoms.
- Rehabilitation therapies: Physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy to improve physical function, cognitive skills, and communication abilities.
- Lifestyle modifications: Exercise, diet, and stress management techniques to promote overall health and well-being.
- Support groups and counseling: To address the emotional and psychological challenges of living with long COVID.
Maurielle Lue's Reflections and the Need for Support
Maurielle Lue reflects on her fight with COVID-19 weeks after her recovery. She is learning to cope with her new normal. There is still so much to learn about Covid and Long Covid. Our understanding about why some people are affected differently by Covid is evolving every day. Why do some people have no symptoms at all, while others are left with organ damage and lasting disabilities? Long Haulers are scared, we feel alone, we need support.
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