Brianna Worthington was fully vaccinated but had a breakthrough case in late September and early October.

Worthington describes himself as an active person who enjoys running, hiking and taking fitness classes. She said that after being infected with COVID-19 she had problems walk short distances. She described having shortness of breath and weakness, which surprised her.

“I went from being able to run and hike, and do all those things that I love to do – to struggling to walk to my mailbox and back without having to take a break to catch my breath,” Worthington said.

Despite her difficulties, she said she was happy to be vaccinated.

“I’m really grateful that I decided to get vaccinated before I got sick because I really believe it could have been so, so much worse,” she said.

“My experience with COVID-19 has been the sickest I’ve ever been in my entire life,” noting that she’s had colds, the flu, and other respiratory infections, and what she’s been through was far worse than anything she had ever experienced.

“It took me months before I started to really feel like myself again. (It took months) before I could go up and down the stairs and down the road. This was a big milestone for me,” said said Worthington.

She said she was finally well, running again and learning to climb. She said it’s important to know that COVID-19 can infect anyone and young people who appear healthy can be very negatively affected by COVID-19.

“COVID-19 doesn’t care if you’re young or old, healthy or not, it can really affect people in different ways,” Worthington said. “When I share what happened and how I felt, even that emotional component of being so sick, feeling really frustrated with my body and being afraid of feeling like this forever – ( and) I wouldn’t want anyone never go through anything like that.”

She said her purpose in sharing her story was to encourage people in her age group to get vaccinated, noting that her case was mild and many others were much sicker than her.

“So I really encourage you to do everything you can to prevent yourself from getting sick and to protect yourself and your loved ones from this disease. Luckily I had decided to get vaccinated and I didn’t get too sick that so many other people are getting now. The case I had was very mild compared to what we see in our hospitals and in our communities,” she said.

Bonnie Kruszka, Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer for Ambulatory Services at Munson Healthcare, and John Thorington, Program Manager for Mary Free Bed at Munson Healthcare, spoke at the press conference about the long COVID and potential treatments, as well as the cure of the disease.

Kruszka noted that most people recover from COVID-19 within two weeks, but a smaller group “experience prolonged health issues that sometimes last for months. I’ve even heard of a few people with symptoms beyond one year”.

“Long COVIDs are usually described as persistent COVID-like symptoms for more than four weeks and can happen to anyone who has had COVID-19,” she explained. “Symptoms can be mild or severe and there is no link between risk factors and long-term factors.”

She described some of the symptoms of long COVID.

“Patients can experience a wide range of symptoms. I’ve heard of fatigue, brain fog, shortness of breath. Joint pain, depression – which I recently heard about from support groups (Munson long COVID) is hair loss and chest pain among other reported symptoms,” Kruszka said.

Kruszka spoke about the lengthy COVID-19 support group offered by Munson Healthcare. It meets on the first Thursday of each month via Zoom. Pre-registration is required and the meeting takes place from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. The next meeting will be on March 3. This support group can be found at munsonhealthcare.org/services/community-health/covid19/long-covid-support-grouper.

kruszka also provided an update on monoclonal antibodies and oral antivirals. She noted that the number of treatments with monoclonal antibodies is declining due to the scarcity of available drugs. Munson only receives a limited amount from the state, and even after he’s shipped, he can be unpredictable about how many doses the hospital system receives.

Thorington, of the Mary Free Bed ReCOVery program, said the program is designed for COVID long haulers, people battling COVID-19 at home, and is a multi-faceted program that focuses on the needs and symptoms of individuals rather than regimented treatment.

“We offer everything from a short series of physiotherapy and group psychology to a more extensive rehabilitation program approach,” he said.

The program is in partnership with Munson Healthcare.

He said the program is designed to address both emotional and psychological issues caused by COVID-19.

Thorington noted that some parts of the program can be done onsite, but the vast majority is virtual and can serve most of northern Michigan that way.

“Mary Free Bed recognized at some point in the pandemic that patients were experiencing many challenges and prolonged hospitalizations and had to battle these symptoms alone at home. Many of these symptoms lasted for weeks or months after the patient disappeared. ‘infection,’ he said. .

Thorington said Mary Free Bed, as a rehabilitation-focused organization, saw an opportunity and created programs for long-term COVID sufferers.

More information can be found at maryfreebed.com/conditions/covid-19/.

Munson’s press conference can be viewed at facebook.com/munsonhc/videos/1626496224364873.