Rachael Edwards has struggled with a debilitating weariness that has kept her bedridden for weeks at a time since an acute Covid-19 infection in the summer of 2023. The 31-year-old marketing manager, who was once in good health, says she feels “weighted down by an anchor” in Amsterdam.
“Long Covid fatigue differs from the exhaustion of parenting newborns or long days at the office in a number of ways,” Edwards explains. “Consider finishing the most difficult marathon of your life without any nourishment and with inadequate sleep. Once the rush of adrenaline has subsided, attempt climbing 100 steps. That’s the sensation in my body. My muscles are immobile. She exclaims, “I can’t even hold my hand above my head.”
