Recovered COVID-19 patient speaks out about lingering symptoms

A Regina woman who contracted COVID-19 in the summer says she understands how people become disconnected from the effects of the pandemic when they’re hearing about numbers instead of faces, and stories from far away.

That’s why Taryn Bridges shared her experience on Facebook this week.

Bridges got sick in August with what was considered a mild case, allowing her to isolate at home. She has since recovered but continues to experience symptoms, particularly her difficulty breathing during routine activity.

“I can’t go for a walk, sing along to the radio, or even just hold a full conversation. In minutes, I’m so out of breath and dizzy I’m at the point of passing out. I can’t lay down to sleep because the pressure on my chest is too much. I feel like I’m in a constant fog and the only thing I can focus on is the uncomfortable tightness in my chest,” Bridges posted on Tuesday.

At 27 years of age, Bridges doesn’t fit into one of the at-risk categories and her symptoms started off mild.

“I honestly didn’t realize I had it to begin with. My only symptom to start was just a headache so I really didn’t think anything of it. And then by the time I was in isolation after getting tested, it got quite a bit worse from there,” she told the Greg Morgan Morning Show on Friday.

Doctors have told her that her lingering symptoms should improve with time, she said.

Bridges had second thoughts about going public but decided to go through with it in response to anti-maskers and those who have been defying public health advice.

“(Wearing a mask) is such a simple thing to do and if there’s even a slight chance that it helps someone else not get sick, I think it’s worth it to do,” Bridges said.

“I know we all want to go out but if we want to keep everything open that we do, you need to make some sacrifices like wearing a mask.”

In her Facebook post, she expresses frustration with coronavirus skeptics.

“But it’s just a flu right? I’m lucky that I was relatively healthy before this,” she said. “I didn’t have to be hospitalized and I know it could’ve been a lot worse. However this is my new normal that I have to adjust to and I’m bitter. It feels like I’ll never get back to how I was before.”