WOODBURY — We all remember what it felt like not being able to leave our house, see our friends at school and work, and sit indoors in isolation just wishing and waiting for it to go away. There was the initial excitement of getting “two weeks off” of school, followed by the existential dread of realizing that this would last a lot longer than just two weeks.

But for some people at Nonnewaug, the struggle caused by the pandemic is far from over.

Kailyn Cahill, a senior at Nonnewaug, said that she has “a friend here that struggles with long COVID after contracting the virus. … It’s not too bad, but she definitely notices the feelings of weariness, especially in the mornings, as well as a cough that comes and goes.” 

But what is long COVID? 

Long COVID is described by the CDC as “the long-term effects” some people experience after getting COVID-19. These symptoms range from tiredness and fatigue to heart palpitations, brain fog, depression and anxiety, and even stomach issues. These symptoms can make day-to-day life very difficult.

According to the CDC, “For some people, long COVID can last weeks, months, or years after COVID-19 illness and can sometimes result in disability. Long COVID may not affect everyone the same way.”

Contrary to popular belief, we aren’t just past COVID — not everyone, at least. People are still contracting it every day, and many still deal with the long-term effects of long COVID.

“Long-term COVID symptoms exist,” Nonnewaug nurse Sandy Snabaitis said. “It is a new study of science. People are suffering with lingering symptoms that persist and some actually return with symptoms after becoming ill with COVID.”

Some students and staff could have long COVID and not even know it, and those who are aware of its symptoms have had to adapt and struggle.

These mild yet persistent symptoms affect and change the way people have to go about living. It can definitely affect a student’s grades, and if a staff member or teacher has long COVID, then it can affect their performance in the classroom as well day-to-day life outside of class.

This being said, long COVID also affects extracurricular activities, such as exercise, travel, and social gatherings. Long COVID’s sometimes debilitating symptoms can make life outside of school just as difficult, if not more so. These symptoms can lead to an overall poorer quality of life for many who have it.

If you think that you may be suffering from some form of long COVID, then you should visit your doctor, get a proper diagnosis and do what is necessary to counter the symptoms.