A Woman's Viral TikTok Discussing How COVID-19 Irrevocably Damaged Her Health Is So Important Right Now
"I haven't gotten back to who I was before COVID."
BuzzFeed reached out to Kait, who explained how COVID completely changed her health. "I woke up on Sept. 9 with a 104 fever and the most severe body aches of my life," Kait told BuzzFeed. "By that night, I still had a high fever and couldn’t eat or drink. Two days later, I lost all smell and taste. The following day, I was in the hospital. I couldn’t breathe, walk, and my vision was blurry and my fever was very high — even with medication. I developed pneumonia as well."
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"I was bedridden for 13 days with fever, extreme pain, difficulty breathing, and ringing in my ears. After two weeks, I started to feel better — but I haven't gotten back to who I was before COVID."
Kait went on to explain just how deeply COVID affected her. "About three months after contracting COVID, my long-haul symptoms became really serious. I fainted in my kitchen, seized up, and had to be taken by ambulance to the ER. That happened multiple times in January — until I found my cardiologist, who has seen a ton of people just like me."
"I had no pre-existing conditions. We even did genetic testing to ensure I didn’t have anything underlying. I was diagnosed with PVCs, SVT, Mitral Valve Prolapse, constant ear ringing, fatigue, and insomnia. I faint almost daily, and my thyroid is overactive. I take so many medications that I've never had to before."
"I wish people would stop with the '99% survival rate' bullshit," Kait continued. "Because, yes, I survived — but at what cost to the quality of my life? I can’t go to the gym or run anymore. I can’t play with my kids like I did before. I’m always sick because all those medications have their own side effects. And I’m considered a lucky one. I’m annoyed with how many people are willing to play Russian roulette with their health and the health of those around them."
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After hearing from Kait, BuzzFeed spoke with Dr. Vicki Chan about vaccinations and long-term issues found in COVID patients. "We don’t have enough data to know whether or not the vaccine will protect against long-haul COVID issues," she said. "What we do know is that the vaccine will significantly decrease your risk of getting the infection in the first place, which of course avoids the long-term issues entirely."
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In regards to the vaccine, Kait said, "I got the vaccine because I care about other people. It’s as simple as that. So many cannot get the vaccine, and those who can should step up and be a part of the solution. Life will never be normal again if we don’t work together."
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