COVID ‘long haulers’ celebrate recognition after state adds stories to website

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Thousands of Utahs who experience symptoms months after being diagnosed with COVID-19 feel they are finally gaining recognition.

These “long haul flights” said a recent article on the state’s coronavirus website helps them feel heard and also helps connect others to their resources.

“We are real people dealing with this, with families and jobs that some of us cannot return to,” said Lisa O’Brien, founder of the Utah COVID-19 Long Haulers Facebook group.

It’s been nearly a year since O’Brien was diagnosed with COVID-19. But like a handful of others, her symptoms just didn’t go away.

“Some of us have insane heart rates, insane blood pressure. I probably lost about half my hair from all the stress my body was going through,” said O’Brien.

She started the Utah COVID-19 Long Haulers Facebook group, which now has more than 2,000 members, as a platform for people to discuss their symptoms and share resources.

“Long-haul vehicles have remained out of the mainstream,” she said. “Almost all the time we have the number of cases, the recovery counter, the number of deaths, and now we are counting the vaccinations. But you know, we didn’t really count the ones that didn’t recover. ”

With the state publishing about long-haul trucks and sharing some stories on their website, O’Brien felt they were finally getting recognition.

“It’s great to be recognized,” she said. “It’s great that people know that having these long-lasting symptoms is a real risk.”

She hopes that these types of articles will give people in similar situations hope and a place to turn.

“Of course we don’t have all the answers. Yes, we are still learning a lot, but we do know bits and pieces,” she said.

Ashley Moser