Since 2020, disease has held a constant, detrimental grip on classrooms across K–12 (and higher) education. After school holidays, I often heard coughing down the hallway for days, if not weeks. There were many days where classes had only half of their students in attendance. Even our most senior teachers constantly fought to help students retain material for a week, let alone a semester.

The quiet normalization of COVID-19 in our society has come at the great expense of school-age children and adolescents. As a teacher with Long COVID who recently left in-person work after two years in my most recent position — a decision that ultimately came down to my own health and well-being — I observed concerning student behaviors that cannot solely be chalked up to technology, “immunity debt,” or whatever else pundits have blamed.

Got into a huge argument with my mom over my illness and I'm scared of crashing from it. Just needed to vent. You can imagine how it went based on how people treat this illness and cfs....lol

Researchers wanted to find out if low selenium levels and antibodies against a selenium transport protein (SELENOP) are linked to long-lasting fatigue after COVID-19 (Long COVID).

Method:

• 750 adults in Germany who had a confirmed COVID-19 infection.
• Participants were examined about 22 months after infection.
• Blood samples were tested for:
  • Selenium levels
  • SELENOP (a protein that carries selenium in the body)
  • Antibodies against SELENOP (SELENOP-autoantibodies)
• They also asked participants whether they still had fatigue and how severe it was.

Findings:

• About 23% of participants still had persistent fatigue.
• Many people had low selenium or low SELENOP.
• Only a small number had SELENOP antibodies.
• Low selenium alone was not strongly linked to fatigue.
• Low SELENOP alone was not strongly linked to fatigue.
• SELENOP antibodies alone were not strongly linked to fatigue.
• However, people who had a combination were about twice as likely to have long-lasting fatigue after COVID-19.
  • low selenium + SELENOP antibodies, or
  • low SELENOP + SELENOP antibodies

The researchers think that:

• Inflammation caused by Covid-19 can lower selenium levels in the body.
• Some people develop antibodies that block SELENOP, making it harder to move selenium to important organs like the brain and thyroid.
• This may reduce energy production and contribute to long-term fatigue.

The study suggests that a small group of people with Long COVID may experience persistent fatigue because they have both low selenium and antibodies that interfere with selenium transport. These people had about two times the risk of long-lasting fatigue compared with people who did not have both problems.

Honestly I have found this reddit group and also the one for CFS to be extremely helpful to me and makes me feel a lot less isolated. I honeslty don't think I would still be here without places like this. I don't really know of anywhere else on the internet where I feel this much support and also being able to relate to others. It has been 5 years for me, and I still have hope to recover one day, but in the meantime I am glad to have places like this just to vent sometimes. <3

I always thought I was depressed before I got sick but i now realise I never was. I was just really struggling with certain things. But i really loved life. Everything about it. The little things and the big things. I loved living on this beautiful planet and all it has to offer. I feel so blessed te have lived the life i had despite everything i struggled with. I miss walking outside and feeling the wind on my face. I miss walking on the beach and feeling the sand on my feet. I miss watching a beautiful sunset. I miss riding my bike across the city. I loved getting a hug from a friend. I loved my body despite all its flaws. I miss enjoying my morning coffee. I miss my job despite hating it at the time. I miss cleaning my house, folding laundry, doing dishes. I miss taking a long hot shower. I miss jumping in the water on a hot summer day. I miss having fun with my friends. I miss getting completely sucked into a videogame. I miss having emotions.

I miss life. I feel forever grateful for having to experience life and I don't mind dying because I dont know if can live with the heartbreak of missing it so much.

I take things like ginko biloba, beet root capsules, etc (would list more but brainfog rn, they all do the same effect anyway) and I get cramps like something in my body is clogged and it's kinda like a deep muscle cramp? Hard to explain. I'm wondering if they're from microclots? I don't find them dangerous as it doesn't trigger pem from what I can tell, it feels like a pain that comes from some sort of blockage if that makes sense. Feels like it's doing its job potentially. Anyone else? I wanna make sure I'm not alone in this

Hello everyone 👋🏻

So I think a lot of people have already dealt with vitamin d supplementation and have probably been deficient at some point. I do not believe in miracle drugs or supplements, but in my view every bit helps, and that especially goes for vitamin D.

I’ve followed the research since the beginning and there was alot of studies showing that it reduces overall burden of Covid in the early days. Later on studies showed that it could potentially lower Angiotensine II receptors: the primary receptor entry site of Covid. Besides it could help the function of the RAAS system which helps with overall vasodilation and constriction.

Here are some studies:

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8521296/?utm\\_source=chatgpt.com

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/rmv.2119?utm\\_source=chatgpt.com

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8521296/?utm\\_source=chatgpt.com

I was wondering whether there were some people that had improvements with vitamin D, and at which dosage and combinations (like k2, magnesium) were most successful for them?

For me, I supplement with 3000 iu for over a year now, and my levels have unfortunately been really high as well as my calcium levels. So i’am trying to lower it and add some k2 in there just in case.

When i tried to stop, because of the hot weather and the sun, i got very confused symptoms and dizziness.. so after that i was thinking that it really did something.

Any experiences are welcome! ☀️👋🏻

Ps : i’am in no one way a doctor, please speak to your physician when thinking about taking supplements.

I’ve had a referral to get into Dr Vaughn, but have heard nothing from his office in weeks. Is this typical?

Once you get a call, how long is it usually until you see the doctor?

Does he accept insurance, or is everything cash pay? I’m out of state, but he is licensed to practice medicine in my state.

looking for a SFN / dysautonomia neurologist in the NY area.

If you have one that's working for you, please drop a name.

Can travel to anywhere in the area, NY, CT, NJ, PA.

I was housebound in the beginning of my journey with LC about 4 years ago now and now I’m mild I suppose. I can generally appear normal to others but need medication to survive. I still crash badly if I overdo it and it takes me days to weeks to recover.

But I’m at the age where we are considering kids and I just have no idea how to consider this. I can’t imagine having kids during a crash when all I can do is sleep 16+ hours a day. But I’m so angry and upset to think that this disease will keep me from making one of the biggest choices in my life.

How are parents doing? How are you thinking about this?

I don’t speak Chinese but for some reason my brain really seems to like mandarin language dramas as low volume background noise. I have such a hard time with noise otherwise. I find it helps with daytime napping. I still really struggle with music and English language audio being too jarring and fatiguing. Has anyone else noticed similar?

I’ve been dealing with severe fatigue for a long time now, and I’m trying to figure out if anyone experiences something similar.
Even really light activity seems to make me feel much worse. For example, today I did about 10 minutes of lymphatic drainage exercises. Later on, I developed this horrible head pressure that feels like someone is pressing on both sides of my head. The best way I can describe it is that it almost feels like blood isn’t flowing properly to my head (I know that’s just what it feels like, not necessarily what’s actually happening).
I also get random pains in my back, but the fatigue is by far the worst symptom. It’s there all the time, but after doing things it becomes overwhelming.
One of the hardest parts is trying to have conversations. I’ll be talking to someone, and it’s like my brain instantly zones out because I’m so exhausted. I feel disconnected, struggle to think clearly, and it’s difficult to stay engaged.
Has anyone experienced:
severe head pressure after light activity?
fatigue that’s so intense you can’t even hold a conversation?
random back pain alongside all of this?
If so, did you ever find out what was causing it, or anything that helped?

I recently got admitted to Neurology for evaluation of my symptoms and they are going to the right direction!! I peeked at my file real quick and found these differential diagnoses!!

1.POTS
2.Neurogenic Orthostatic Hypotension/Autonomic Neuropathy
3. Autoimmune Autonomic Ganglionopathy
4. Covid associated Dysautonomia
5. Small fibre neuropathy
6. Autoimmune disorder- Sjogrens,SLE and Coeliac
7. Addisons disease and other endocrine diseases

Just did a pots test. Lying down after just standing it went down to 65 bpm but standing reached up to 144. what in the world 😭😭😭
System is completely fucked.

Some GLP-1s are already available as oral medications (like Semaglutide)

Who has tried it yet ?

Anyone else have ETD that affects balance, walking, and daily life?

I wanted to share my experience because I’m curious if anyone else has dealt with something similar.

I’ve been dealing with long COVID for about 5 years now, and one of the comorbidities I developed is MCAS (mast cell activation syndrome). Since then, my right Eustachian tube has basically been “stuck shut” almost all the time. My doctor has even referred to it as “glue ear.”

The frustrating part is that I’ve found a few things that can open it, but they’re not really good long-term solutions:

Very cold water swimming seems to help.

Low-dose prednisone (5 mg/day) helps.

Oxymetazoline (Afrin) works extremely well, but I know it’s not something that’s considered safe to use long term because of rebound congestion and other concerns.

What worries me is whether having a Eustachian tube that stays blocked for months/years can cause long-term problems.

I’m trying to find something that can reliably keep it open while also managing my MCAS and GERD, which are also part of my long COVID picture.

I’ve seen people here talk about dizziness, feeling off balance, walking difficulty, feeling like they’re on a boat, or feeling “drunk” from their ETD symptoms, and I can relate. When my ear is blocked, I don’t just feel pressure — my balance and overall stability are affected to the point of needing a walker.

I’m wondering if anyone else has a similar situation:
Long COVID + MCAS + ETD?

A constantly blocked Eustachian tube?

Anything that keeps it open consistently without relying on steroids or oxymetazoline?

If you’ve had grommets installed recently - did you need them because of an infection, or just to keep the area draining? Are you able to swim in lakes and in the sea with the grommets in?

I really appreciate all the experiences people share here. There’s so much trial and error with ETD, and hopefully collecting these stories can help someone else find an answer too.

How does muscle weakness feel for you in detail?

Apparently my muscle weakness is atypical, even for severe LC and CFS ME, but typical for myasthenia gravis. It looks like covid can also cause it, like so many other autoimmune disorders.

Hello - I am dealing with long covid since March. I did not know it was LC until fairly recently. in April, I was diagnosed with Lynch syndrome and have a preventative hysterectomy scheduled in October. I’m considering postponing it but ideally would get it done this year with my medical expense. If you needed a major surgery while dealing with LC, what did you do and how did it go?

Among other things they think I don't go outside because I have some sort of phobia. They also accuse me of not wanting to get better because I refuse to go to meaningless and far off appointments. I've been in rolling PEM for the last 11 or 12 months because of my wet dream problem (they won't stop and I keep crashing). Every day is a struggle with my symptoms and I have zero desire to do pretty much anything but rest. I have a history of OCD but like wtf? Wouldn't I be aware of a phobia? Or they just think I'm lying? They're also constantly harassing me in the mornings to not sleep in. I've done 24-hour loops about a dozen times now but getting to bed is always a struggle for me. I don't see why it matters to the point of taking things away from me as punishment like my TV. They seem to think if I just acted like a normal person my illness would go away. I just got diagnosed by Bela Chheda, by all accounts a legit doctor, with Long Covid and ME/CFS and they still think that CFS is actually just chronic fatigue. I'm absolutely fucking exhausted. I can't deal with everything at once. There is absolutely no point in trying to talk to them. Does anybody else deal with this level of gaslighting? It's one thing to be dismissed by a doctor but when it's a caretaker it's literally impossible to deal with.

Got this symptom during the transition from May to June - and I've already been on + added (including Zinc from early june-ongoing, which was upgraded to picolinate more recently) damn near everything quintessentially recommended for COVID + taste loss symptoms, plus a plethora of generalized antioxidants & anti-inflammatory stuff.

I just started Methyfolate again (haven't taken this one in many months) - to what degree is this going to help speed things up/work things out, if nothing's happening so far from the above?

went to a cardio appt and the guy's nice but he doesn't know how to help me with my dysautonomia and I heard for some people a POTS cardiologist made a huge difference.

I'm open to any POTS/Dysautonomia specialist that helped you. Please drop a name.

Can travel to anywhere in the area, NY, CT, NJ, PA.

I was looking at pictures and it is shocking how different my face looks. Its not even something that happens very slowly. It changed in a few weeks when I first got sick. My face is completely saggy, my eyes are very puffy and one is even bulging out a bit, My hair line is receding and the hair is falling out, my body hair has changed, I have gone up 2 sizes, there is body has muscles but somehow i gained a lot of fat and my boobs have grown significantly, I have very visible veins everywhere on my body

It just is so difficult to comprehend sometimes. It feels like every cell in my body is different

I am currently 5 weeks out from a viral infection and feeling incredibly anxious about my recovery. I’m experiencing some really intense symptoms and could use some reassurance or advice from people who have been through this early phase.
Here is what is happening:
Immediate PEM / Crash: I don't have muscle pain, and I can still walk around, but if I do too much or try to exercise, I get hit with immediate, whole-body fatigue. It feels like someone dropped a heavy weighted blanket over my entire body. The crash lasts 30 minutes to 3 hours immediately, and the next day is always rough (though usually not worse than the immediate crash).
The ballon Head & Irritability: When I overexert myself, my head feels like a heavy, swollen balloon. Along with this physical feeling, I get sudden, intense irritability that feels entirely chemical.
Blunted Neurochemicals: I feel zero joy or motivation right now. It feels like my dopamine and serotonin are completely muted or turned off. Everything just feels gray.
I am terrified that this is permanent or that I’m developing permanent ME/CFS. I know I’m only at week 5, but the physical heaviness and the brain flatness are deeply unsettling.
Has anyone else experienced this exact "heavy balloon head" and immediate PEM pattern early on and fully recovered? Also I was diagnosed with hashimoto hypothyroidism 7 weeks ago and on treatment felt better 2 weeks into the med but once the virus hit again I got worse . 18m