DISABILITY
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Long Covid in the pews by Carol Long
Lectionary Year A Week 1 arrives predictably with Advent this year . Three years ago , in November 2019 , I may not have noticed the words ‘ that day and hour no one knows ’. I was listening to friends complaining about a frustrating viral cold that meant cancelling longanticipated events . I now look upon that cold as an insignificant blip in my averagely good health .
Within weeks the world would know about Covid-19 . A few months after , I contracted this ‘ new ‘ flu ’ that would change many lives in the brief time of one lectionary cycle . We have lost more than 150,000 people through this illness , many over 60 years old . 1.2 million have the lasting effects , according to UK official figures . Post Covid Syndrome or Long Covid is a new disease . It is an unexpected consequence of the pandemic and the novel virus we do not fully understand .
Long Covid is a hidden disability . Like the man in William Hughes Mearns ’ s poem , Antigonish , its sufferers find they experience symptoms that are not there when officials want proof . The diagnosis is an absence of any medical condition to explain the symptoms . The inconsistency of symptoms makes any assessment for disability almost impossible . The lack of a pathway to manage your life with this illness is an uncertainty that can make recovery harder . This syndrome can haunt ; how I wish it would go away !
Those with Long Covid may appear ‘ normal ’ but within the hour they may seem as frail as someone 40 years older . People strong enough to easily carry a full bag of gardening compost may be unable to lift a quarter of the bag minutes later . Intelligent people who can discuss complex concepts , suddenly are mentally exhausted , drift off or forget simple words . These symptoms can mean that Long Covid may restrict their social life and visits away from home .
The isolation of Long Covid can result in frustration and anxiety . One of the common treatments for mental illness is to ‘ get exercising ’. As Long Covid can present as physical exhaustion , exercising your troubles away is no longer a workable treatment . Exercise or stress may trigger a relapse . NHS research clinics for Long Covid thoroughly check for social isolation , low mood , and anxiety risks .
Medical research continues and experts tell us there are no answers to this chronic illness . It is simply too early to know . There may be some hints that those people who were constantly on the go , always the first to volunteer , or neglecting their own needs to serve others may be disproportionately suffering . The statistics suggest that middleaged women and men in caring professions are more susceptible to this syndrome . One theory is that because they returned to the demands of normal life without fully recovering , a minor illness or a stressful life event triggered Long Covid . Their body , seeking to protect them , pushed them into the human immune system ’ s equivalent of ‘ limp mode ’ in modern cars . A good night ’ s sleep was not sufficient to recover .
Long Covid may be accompanied by limb pain and stiffness , digestive problems , ‘ brain fog ’ ( reduced concentration and memory ), interrupted sleep cycles , and experiencing sudden and unpredictable days of exhaustion . Lessons from phased recovery programmes for stroke , heart attack , transplants and major trauma can help rehabilitation . Repetitive focused activity to prompt the brain to learn to smell again can recover a lost sense of taste . Sleep and fatigue clinic techniques can regulate ‘ boom and bust ’ activity cycles .
We can adjust for visible disabilities . When you see a frail member of your congregation , you may say ‘ If you are able ...’ before any instruction to stand , sit or kneel . It is a polite invitation but notice the word ‘ able ’. Leading worship for those with disabilities ( or different abilities ) equitably means we need to reflect on our expectations of the way we choreograph physical behaviour in church . This is especially true for people with Long Covid : I may feel able at the start of the service but a later reminder that I am not can rub salt into wounds . Hidden disabilities are much more difficult to accommodate in your instructions to a congregation . Thoughtfulness and testing the need for ‘ usual practice ’ is our only option .
Carol Long
Carol Long is a Methodist Local Preacher in the Milton Keynes Circuit . She has been adventuring with Long Covid since 2020 , which has meant taking a break from her professional life . Her career has included being a software engineer , a manager in high-paced changing environments , and teaching postgraduate project and engineering management .