In early September of the fall semester of 2025, I tested positive for COVID-19. It was the fourth time that I had caught the virus, as I deal with a lot of immune issues as someone with a few chronic illnesses, including mitochondrial cytopathy and chronic fatigue syndrome. Like with getting any contagion, it sucked tremendously, but I was back to normal and just fine the first three times I caught COVID-19. I caught it right before the shutdown occurred, in 2022, 2024, and then recently this fall semester. I tend to get sick around the first few weeks of the semester. The first month at NCSU after I transferred, I caught laryngitis. I have been at the university for 3 years so far, and each year I have caught something within the first semester. So clearly, my immune system isn’t exactly good.
Unfortunately, the 4th and most recent time I caught COVID-19, it lingered on after testing negative. One of the main symptoms of COVID-19 that I had was intense brain fog and excessive hypersomnia. I was sleeping up to 20 hours a day, only really waking up to eat and drink something or use the bathroom. Weeks later, I still have an intense brain fog.
I always had some brain fog, but it worsened immensely thanks to COVID-19. I genuinely don’t feel like myself anymore, like my limited cognitive abilities of comprehension are just non-existent anymore. Paying attention to class got harder, with constant headaches and dizziness whenever I think “too hard” about certain things. If I use my mental capacity too much, which is already limited by chronic illness, sleep is the only thing that can lead to temporary recovery, so I can continue to be semi-productive again. The best way to describe it is that it feels like I suddenly became inept. I space out and dissociate and have to try really hard to pay attention when people talk to me about anything.
This is not who I am; this is not me, and I feel like a part of me was stolen because of some virus. My mind feels lost, and all I can do is cry for help at the Long Covid clinic. Luckily, the long-term COVID specialist I am seeing at UNC is amazing and is working with me on getting back to my normal self again, including referring me to occupational therapy. Long Covid is a very real and legitimate condition that can happen to people after contracting COVID-19 at some point in their lives. It can show up in different forms, some more extreme than others, but if you still don’t feel like yourself weeks after being positive with COVID-19, reach out to your primary care physician. There are clinics in North Carolina that specialize in long-term COVID care, so they can provide you with a referral upon request.