When the doctor Is a Covid ‘Long Hauler’

Summary

Coronavirus may leave patients with a condition called POTS that makes the heart rate soar after even the mildest activities.

Shannon Gulliver Caspersen is a physician in the US who contracted what was initially a fairly mild case of COVID-19 in early March. Seven months later, she remains substantially debilitated, with profound exhaustion and a heart rate that goes into the stratosphere with even the tiniest bits of exertion, such as pouring a bowl of cereal or making a bed.

In this article in the New York Times, Shannon discusses her experience of long covid and her diagnosis of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and her concerns on how much disability we will accumulate by the end of this pandemic.