A Kaiapoi man who has had an extended battle with two bouts of post-Covid-19 condition, also known as long Covid, plans to hold a public event to raise awareness about the condition.
Sean Regan says his initial bout of long Covid lasted for two-and-a-half years.
However, he eventually recovered and felt so good that early last year he booked a three-month trip to France, Germany, England, Ireland and the US to visit friends and relatives.
He returned home after the trip in good health, but ‘‘the bug’’ came back again last November.
‘‘It affected my thighs and calves and I am now walking at the speed of an active two-year-old,’’ Sean says.
‘‘Long Covid seems to have no known cure and there is very little publicity about the condition.’’
He wants to hold the evening to raise awareness about the condition, and give people who have suffered from it or are still suffering from it the opportunity to tell their story.
The meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 31, at the Kaiapoi Golf Club from 7.30pm.
However, about six in every 100 develop post Covid.
Although data is limited it is believed the chance of developing the post Covid-19 condition appears to be lower now than earlier in the pandemic.
However, WHO says Covid-19 is still circulating widely and every new infection is associated with a risk.
Fatigue, breathlessness, muscle or joint pain, and impaired sleep are common symptoms of the post Covid condition.
Little is known about the most effective treatment.
WHO says self-care is important and ‘‘quality rest, sleep and energy conservation techniques can help patients manage their symptoms better’’.
