Thirsty (for knowledge) Thursday: My Marathon-Running Friend Who Had COVID-19

I posted a link to an article in "Women's Running" on Facebook yesterday, and it's worth a share here as well. Here's my preface that I shared word-for-word on Facebook:

Here's an interview with my running friend Lauren who contracted COVID-19. She was an early case in the US back in March. Here’s a brief rundown of her situation:

THE GOOD NEWS? Her husband most likely caught it from her and had no symptoms.

THE BAD NEWS? She can’t breathe correctly yet. She’s a “fit runner,” and still very recently, she slept on her couch for 2 weeks because she couldn’t climb the stairs to her bedroom. This was 5 months after being “recovered” from it. Right now, she can only do 1 thing at a time: “I can move, I can eat, or I can talk. If I combine two of those three, I can’t breathe.”

It came on quick. She said “In a day I went from running eight miles to not being able to walk up the stairs.” She’s done 30 marathons/ultra-marathons. She’s not the demographic that’s worried about contracting COVID-19.

She went out 2 weeks ago to try the “run a minute, walk a minute” back-to-running routine, and she nearly stopped a police car to get help because it went so poorly.

She also has “COVID toe.” (Do a Google image search - it looks like bad constant frostbite.) Lauren said “it feels like there’s a Lego wedged under my foot.” It’s an acute pain that she’s wondering if it’s “just a part of life now.” She’s still working out what makes it more bearable.

A quote from near the end of the interview: “It’s natural that most people think, ‘I’m younger, I’m healthier, I’ll be OK, it’s old people and sick people who die.’ There’s so much news coverage on the number of deaths, which is certainly serious and important, but the day-to-day impact on people who have the illness and are counted as recovered is much more severe than I think most people realize. Even running friends don’t seem to realize how sick I still am, because of this.”

I often find myself sharing her situation when people say things like “but look at how low the death rate is.” Every case is not just like you get it and you’re done with it 2 weeks later: people have strokes, lung damage (lung transplants), heart damage, muscle damage, neurological issues, and all kinds of other permanent issues.

HERE'S the full article that I linked after that intro.

Many people commented on my Facebook link, but here are 3 that I want to share:

First, a high-school friend said: "Yep my friend in Chicago also very fit is now in a lung damage study unable to do any exertion since contracting in March."

Second, one of my wife's best friends from kindergarden through high school graduation (no joke) shared her experience with her partner: "Sounds like my house. V got it in mid March - still struggling with deep breathing and lack of taste/smell. I didn't have any symptoms and I tested negative for the antibodies. Still do not understand that - I think a false negative. Crazy scary."

Finally, a college friend said: "I got it mid March. Everyone in my family is fine. I’m still experiencing dyspnea (SOB), brain fog, and relapses with fevers, and such."

Again, here's the full interview if you'd like to read it.

For more "Thirsty Thursday" posts that highlight workouts, body science, and all kinds of interesting information, CLICK HERE. As always, back with some "Friday Funnies" tomorrow.