Long Covid robs pharmacist of a ‘glorious career’

Durban pharmacy manager Larina Manilall has been medically boarded from her job, more than a year after Covid left her with long-term health issues.

“Medically boarded at 41, I feel cheated of a glorious career that I enjoyed and that was difficult to obtain, with my father having to pay to educate twins.

“I felt privileged to be educated and right now my husband and my children feel like we are losing a considerable income. We have to start making lifestyle changes,” said Manilall, who worked at a public health facility in Inanda.

There is no data on the prevalence of long Covid in SA, but medical experts understand from both local and global experience that about 30% of Covid patients will experience persistent symptoms beyond three months of the initial illness.

Manilall's MRI results showed 25 lesions on her brain, and inflammation. She suffers from blurred vision and cannot communicate as she did before she contracted the virus.  

“I realised that I am not getting better. A year later, I am still barely alive, unable to move my head without discomfort, overstimulated by sight and sound. I can barely make it out the house.

“I consulted my neurologist, who said I wasn’t getting better and that I would not be able to perform my duties,” she said.

A letter to her from the KwaZulu-Natal health department, which the Sunday Times has seen, says it has approved her medical board effective March 1.

“Considering all the medical information and taking into consideration the occupational duties as a pharmacy supervisor, Health Risk Management is of the opinion that you are unable to perform your occupational duties due to residual impairments. 

"The specialist noted that your impairments have been consistent since March 2021 and was of the opinion that your impairments are permanent in nature with only partial recovery expected.”

Durban-based vascular surgeon Dr Vinesh Padayachy has treated patients who have had to be medically boarded from work as they developed clots in the leg and arterial diseases after Covid.

“Even though we have restored functioning to their legs and we have opened up their blood vessels, they are still not at a point where they can go back to work and often struggle to walk and manage at work and they have had to be put off from work.

"Many patients have asked for extended leave post-Covid and have symptoms of long Covid. We are constantly assessing and reassessing them.”

Often patients do not realise they are suffering from long Covid.

“Generally the symptoms of long Covid are varied. Usually these patients had Covid two to three months earlier but they continue to have tiredness, and exhaustion after minor activities.

"They have what we describe as brain fog where they have memory lapses. They find it difficult to concentrate, have persistent loss of weight, are very tired and experience muscle aches. Often they attribute it to just being burnt out, not realising that this is in fact what we now know as long Covid.

“Another important symptom, especially in patients who were really sick, is that they often have anxiety, almost like a post-traumatic stress disorder, where they are absolutely scared of going out in public and exposing themselves simply because they are scared of picking up Covid again and possibly dying.

“The anxiety almost comes to a point where they cannot function and it is quite significant and disabling to them,” said Padayachy.