Draft:List of Notable People with Long COVID

• Comment: Many of the references (The Sun, The Daily Mail, etc.) simply aren't of the expected quality to make this kind of claims. Also, what is the inclusion criteria for "notable"? I suggest keeping it to people with an article, here or optionally on other Wikipedia language editions. Finally, a lot of the "details" column is just direct quoting from the people concerned, which is not really something we're looking for in an encyclopedia. Chaotıċ Enby (talk · contribs) 00:36, 12 April 2024 (UTC)

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Long COVID is an illness defined as prolonged symptoms of a SARS-CoV-2 Infection. Some definitions state symptoms need to last at least 4 weeks after acute infection, others that they must last 3 or more months. The prevailing wisdom is that Long COVID is caused by persistent SARS-CoV-2 infection and spike protein persistence. The term is still not widely know to the general public, despite many famous and notable people coming down with the affliction. This list curated by the Long COVID Foundation and includes actors, athletes, comedians, entertainers, politicians, and other people in the public eye who have had any of the 200+ long lasting Long COVID symptoms.

Notable People with Long COVID

Name	YOB	Profession	Details
Aaron Teasdale	1971-1972	Climber	(COVID 1/2021) Used to climb 6,000-meter peaks. Long COVID has made getting out of bed difficult. A walk down the driveway spiked his heart to 130 beats a minute, while having a blood-oxygen of 77.
Adam Perry	1980	Actor (Broadway)	(COVID 3/2020) Waiting for the day he can tap dance for eight minutes straight again. “It’s quite terrifying to be honest. There is nothing like the feeling of not being able to breathe.” Every time Adam believes he is better, the symptoms return.
Al Roker	1954	TV Personality (NBC's Today)	(COVID 9/2022) Roker revealed that blood clots had developed after he had COVID-19 in the fall. The blood clots had started in his leg, but later moved into his lungs. He was also dealing with internal bleeding as well. As a result, Roker said he lost half his blood and had to have multiple surgeries.
Allan Saint-Maximin	1997	Soccer (Newcastle)	(COVID 12/2020) Took two months for him to return to action after postive for SARS-CoV-2.
Alex Schell	2000-2001	Runner (University of Tennessee-Martin)	(COVID 2020) Schell was a nationally ranked Division I long-distance runner who based everything in the past 10 years on the 2024 Olympic Trials. He explained that in the nearly two years since he had mild COVID, “Not only can I not run anymore, I’ve also lost everything I hoped for. Who I envisioned myself to be is largely a past idea. It’s just a monumental loss of a dream.”
Alphonso Davies	1997	Soccer (Canada & Bayern Munich)	(COVID 1/5/22) Davies was diagnosed with Myocarditis after he contracted COVID-19. The condition ruled Davies out of action for several months, before he returned to play for Bayern Munich in April. "At that time I had doubts in my head, whether I'm still going to be able to play football, but everything worked out at the end. I'm happy and I'm grateful for the doctor taking such good care of me. I'm happy that I can be back on the pitch," Davies said.
Alyssa Milano	1972	Actor (Charmed, Who's The Boss, +)	(COVID 4/2020) She felt as if she was dying from Long COVID. Extreme chest heaviness, shortness of breath, loss of smell, hair loss, and heart palpitations were just a few of the symptoms Milano battled. At one point, a CT scan revealed the small blood vessels in her lungs were operating at 30% capacity. Miliano stated she's suffered from, "shortness of breath, heart palpitations, brain fog, exhaustion at 4 o'clock in the evening, tingling in my hands and feet and just forgetfulness."
Andrea McLean	1969	Journalist/Television Host (Loose Women, +)	(COVID ?) Andrea revealed that her Long COVID had been "debilitating." She stated: "I was doing everything that you're supposed to do, which was particularly unfair." Andrea went on: "People say 'Oh I'm exhausted', but what I've experienced defies the definition of tired. I'd no energy - it's really hard to feel energised. The simple things like going for a walk - I'd be getting further and further behind [my husband] Nick, to the point where I'd have to say, 'Can you stop for a minute,' it's things like that."
Andrew Gwynne	1974	Politician (Member of Parliament - England)	(COVID 3/2020) Almost collapsed in the House of Commons chamber due to suffering with Long COVID. Gwynne was "perpetually exhausted" when he returned to work. Mr Gywnne said he was ill with coronavirus "107 weeks and four days ago." He said that when his isolation period ended he was unable to return to work and "could not catch my breath."
Anna Camp	1982	Actor (Pitch Perfect, True Blood, +)	(COVID Summer 2020?) “One time, when the world was starting to open up, I decided to forgo wearing my mask,” Camp told her fans. “One. Time. And I ended up getting it (COVID)." “I’ve had the flu, and this is absolutely not that. The panic of contracting a virus that is basically untreatable and is so new that no one knows the long-term irreparable damage it does to your immune system is unbelievably stressful,” she wrote. “Completely losing my sense of smell and taste without knowing when or even if they will return is extremely disorienting.” Camp outlined her symptoms saying she still has “dizziness, extreme fatigue, impacted sinuses, upset stomach, nausea, vomiting, and fever.”
Annalena Baerbock	1980	Politician (Minister of Foreign Affairs - Germany)	(COVID 6/2020) Still dealing with the after-effects of her corona infection. Dhe says: "It really knocked me down, despite quadruple vaccination." (as of 7/13/2022) "I can hardly walk more than two floors," she stated. “It really knocked me down, despite quadruple vaccination. I was flat for two weeks.” The minister tested positive during a visit to Pakistan in early June and was then flown out in isolation in the government plane. She sends a message to the citizens: "I can only appeal: wear a mask where necessary and test, test, test."
Antony Loveless	1966-1967	Journalist/Nurse	(COVID 1/2021) Antony was once packed with danger and excitement, however today he barely leaves the house. When he does, he walks with a stick and drives a car with a blue disabled badge. As a freelance war photographer and author of bestselling military books, he was ready to dash to the front line at any time. “I felt invincible. Now I’m invisible. It’s a battle just to get out of bed in the mornings.”
Asia Durr	1997	Basketball (New York Liberty)	(COVID 6/2020) Missed 2 seasons of WNBA play after contracting COVID. When it came to concentration and memory. "One day, I feel better. The next, I feel terrible."
Austin Phyfe	1999	Basketball (University of Northern Iowa)	(COVID 6/2021) Phyfe struggled to catch his breath and move at his usual pace at practice after returning from COVID, a difficulty he chalked up to “lingering aftereffects that might clear.” Better days followed, only his progress wasn’t linear. There were bad days as well – and too many of them. Six weeks after his return, Phyfe found himself coming to grips with a new normal, one that was far from his pre-COVID baseline. He underwent emergency surgery in June of 2022 for blood clots in his lungs and remains on blood thinners.
Axel Meye	1995	Soccer (Ittihad Tanger)	(COVID 1/2022?) Examination showed cardiac lesions after COVID-19.
Ben Hermans	1986	Cyclist (Belgium)	(COVID 3/2022?) Ben stated, "it's not that I'm still acutely ill, but I have had persistent fatigue for months since my corona infection." Hermans raced the opening stage of the Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali, but didn't finish the second day, and is yet to return. “I can't get rid of the fatigue I got after that infection," he added. As of 7/2022 Ben Hermans had not raced.
Bethenny Frankel	1970	Business/TV Personality (The Real Housewives of New York City)	(COVID ?) Autoimmune disease worsened by COVID. Frankel said, "I am messed up. I am not doing that great. I'm so dehydrated and riddled with aches and pains." "I've gained, like, 4 lbs since I've been here because my body is trying to hold on to any water it can. Dehydration is so real," Frankel continued. "This is very intense and it's gotten really bad in the last few years, since this autoimmune thing I'm dealing with. So I wake up every 2 hours in such pain and dying of thirst so it's of my body won't hold on to it. I make a tremendous effort to stay hydrated, get IV's, and I haven't had liquor for 6 months.
Billie Ellish	2001	Singer	(COVID 8/2021) Battled acute COVID for nearly 2 months: '"I mean, I didn't die and I wasn't going to die, but that does not take away from how miserable it was. I mean, it was terrible. I still have side effects (as of 12/14/2021)."
Brad Brach	1986	Baseball (New York Mets)	(COVID Summer 2020) Bach was one of the New York Mets' more dependable relief pitchers in 2019, pitching to a 3.58 ERA with an average fastball velocity of 88.7 mph. Brach contracted COVID-19 before the start of the Mets' summer camp. His ERA ballooned to a career-high 5.84 as his fastball fell to a career-low average velocity of 83.9 mph. Brach even admitted that the lingering effects of the virus impacted his velocity.
Brandon Sutter	1989	Hockey (Vancouver Canucks)	(COVID 3/2021) “Basically, I’ve been left with a lot of different things,” said Sutter. “With my lungs and my breathing and any exertion, I just can’t do it. I stop and feel like I have to cough something out and just feel like I can’t get oxygen into my body. And if I do too much, I get short of breath and when I try to take a deep breath, I just can’t get it. That’s how it feels. I still can’t do any cardio. I tried working out again in March and April to kind of get going again. But I’d have a really bad day and it would just crush me — I just couldn’t do it.“ "I’m 100 per cent better than I was a year ago. But I still can’t train or work out. When I take it easier, I’m OK. When I do too much, it just crushes me.”
Bryan Cranston	1956	Actor (Breaking Bad, Malcolm In The Middle, +)	(COVID 3/2020) Still suffered from lingering COVID-19 symptoms months after battling the virus. “The only thing that lingered, and still is to this day, is that I lost a percentage of my ability to taste and smell,” Cranston said on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Friday, December 4. “I think about 75 percent has come back, but if someone was brewing coffee and I walk into a kitchen, I can’t smell it.”
Camilla	1947	Royalty (Duchess of Cornwall)	(COVID 2/14/2022) The Duchess of Cornwall 'recovered' from a bout of COVID, but was left with a slight cough and it is understood she is pacing herself after her illness. "She's got Long COVID, it's pretty bad actually."
Carol Vorderman	1960	TV Personality (Countdown, +)	(COVID 2020) Carol said, 'I got COVID before lockdown. Long COVID. You know I'm a walker, so I can be like "oh I'll go off and find a nice 15 miler today." Months later she can't walk 100 yards.
Cedric McMillan	1977 (Passed Away at Age 44)	Body Builder	(COVID 12/2021?) Had breathing issues from COVID and was hospitalized for pneumonia & put on life support. He later said of the ordeal, "I was almost dead." Had stomach issues since October along with heart issues. Passed away from heart attack while running on a treadmill on 4/12/22.
Chad Duell	1987	Actor (General Hospital, +)	(COVID ?) Suffered from Myocarditis as a result of having COVID-19. He's come down with COVID-19 "a number of times." Duell said that his health scare had been so bad, the actor even had thoughts that he might die. "On the fourth day, my chest was hurting unbelievably bad. I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I thought I should go to the hospital, it was so painful. They ended up admitting me the next day." "I can't even tell you the pain I felt. I had morphine and it wasn't doing anything. I was scared. Now I'm trying to get back into the rhythm of things." Duell said that his troponin levels -- a protein that appears in the blood only when the heart muscle is damaged -- indicated that he'd suffered a heart attack. "I was (in the hospital) for multiple days." Duell is dealing with Long COVID.
Chris Cuomo	1970	Journalist (Cuomo Prime Time, +)	(COVID 4/2020) Chris Cuomo was still fighting lingering COVID-19 effects 3 months after diagnosis. "I've got brain fog that won't go away," Cuomo said. "I've got an onset of clinical depression, which is not sadness, but it is depression. I never had it before. I have it now. I can't recover from workouts the way I did before."
Chris Flockton	????	Stage & Voice Actor	(COVID 11/2020) 19 months after his bout with COVID, Chris is still experiencing symptoms resulting from the virus. He contracted a mild case of COVID. Then some weeks later something was still wrong. "We all know what it's like if we climb a mountain or go running and you're just like, you're puffed. But this was just this crushing exhaustion, where — oh! And your body shakes, it's a really great feature, like you feel like you're vibrating on the inside — and you know, like you feel like your knees want to give out and you just really need to lie down. It's a pretty overwhelming feeling of exhaustion. "My life is not the life I had pre-COVID. My life is much smaller."
Chris Froome	1985	Cycling (Team Sky)	(COVID 7/2022) Had issues with an occasional inexplicable racing heartbeat and a VO2 Max that simply won’t bounce back for at least 5 months post acute COVID Infection.
Colin Farrell	1976	Actor (Minority Report, The Batman, +)	(COVID 2021?) Suffered from Long COVID for at least 6 Months. Went running week after his 1st COVID infection and felt that's what fueled his Long COVID.
Conan Noonan	2003	Soccer (Shamrock Rovers)	(COVID Spring 2022) Promising midfielder has struggled with his cardiovascular health since a second bout of COVID and is currently not allowed to train (as of 8/2022). “I’m a bit gutted about Conan Noonan to be honest. He would have played a big part for us this year but he hasn’t been able to train for four or five months. After COVID, he’s had problems with his heart, irregular heartbeats, getting dizzy,” said Bradley.
Daniel Carriere	????	Singer (Royal Tusk)	(COVID 3/2020) Royal Tusk hit pause on performing and promoting a new album as their singer battles a severe, and debilitating case of Long Haul COVID. Daniel Carriere has been dealing with extreme exhaustion. Daniel's fiance says, “I’ve seen him play music his whole life, and not being able to do that – it would make him sick, physically ill, to do any sort of efforts.” The worst of Daniels symptoms started last summer (of 2021). She only found out Daniel had blood clots after she requested the test.
Danny Burstein	1964	Actor/Singer (Cabaret, Moulin Rouge!, +)	(COVID 4/2020) Spent 6 days in hospital with difficulty breathing and a temperature that at one point hit 104. Four months later he's not really sure how he's doing. Danny's symptoms have dissipated for the most part, they also remain in subtle and, on some days, not-so-subtle ways. He at times suffers terrible exhaustion. He's had swelling in hands and feet. Also had a few weeks of short-term memory loss.
Dave Navarro	1967	Singer (Jane's Addiction & Red Hot Chili Peppers)	(COVID 12/2021) Navarro wrote, "so yeah, I'm one of the ones who came down with the 'Long Haul COVID. Been sick since December and supposedly will be back to my old self in… nobody knows how long. If there are any of you who are still suffering long after your negative results, I'm just saying you aren't alone," he wrote. "The fatigue and isolation is pretty awful ... I'll be OK, just don't know when."
Debonair	1986-1987	DJ	(COVID Early 2020) “My energy levels have never returned to what they were,” says DEBONAIR. “I don’t have the muscle strength and energy that I did two years ago, because I’ve had a chronic illness for so long.” For a decade, she’d presented a regular show on NTS Radio, but with Long COVID, she found it a “real struggle” to maintain it. “I was finding it a lot harder to be sharp, to think clearly and find words, which, as a presenter, is obviously a real issue,” she admits. The 35-year-old had “absolutely crazy” heart palpitations, despite never having experienced heart issues before. “I’ve gone through different phases,” DEBONAIR explains. “I’ve been bed bound and haven’t had the energy to digest food. I haven’t been able to eat full meals for long periods. But it’s also not been at all linear. I’m doing better now, but I certainly don’t have the health I did before.”
Derek Draper	1967 (Passed Away at Age 56)	Author (Blair's 100 Days, Life Support)	(COVID 3/2020) Draper was hospitalized in March 2020, suffering from COVID-19, and admitted to an intensive care unit. As of early June 2020 he remained in critical condition after ten weeks and was in an induced coma. The following month, he had opened his eyes, but remained in hospital in a serious condition. As of March 2021 he remained in hospital, a year on from contracting the virus. In September 2021 his wife reported he was still receiving round-the-clock care and sleeping 20 hours a day. She revealed in April 2022 that Draper was struggling to speak. Draper passed away due a cardiac arrest from COVID complications on 1/3/24.
Dianna Cowern	1989	Online Personality ("Physics Girl")	(COVID 7/2022) She wrote on 1/15/23 "today is definitely the lowest point of #longcovid so far. I laid in the dark all day yesterday listening to chill music ..." Still suffering immensely into 2024.
Dr. Drew Pinsky	1958	Doctor/TV Personality (Ask Dr. Drew, +)	(COVID 12/2021) Talks about being a COVID Long Hauler on Instagram. He was still having tremendous amounts of weakness and fogginess, plus cough, shortness of breath, and numbness and tingling in hands several weeks after initial infection.
Drake	1986	Singer/Actor	(COVID 3/2020?) Drake revealed he had COVID and hair loss was a lingering side effect.
Eddie Hall	1988	Boxer/Strongman (England)	(COVID 1/2020) Coronavirus hospitalized Hall after his wife discovered him slumped over, unconscious and with a dangerously-high temperature. To this day (6/2022), Hall is still struggling with the symptoms of Long COVID – insomnia, chest pain, anxiety, and depression. "I first got COVID in January 2020. I was ill, and I mean seriously ill for at least three-and-a-half months. I had a temperature, I couldn't sleep and I lost 30 kilos in body weight. Since then, I've got the symptoms of Long COVID, and that includes insomnia, anxiety, depression."
Eduardo Rodriguez	1993	Baseball (Boston Red Sox)	(COVID 6/2020) Diagnosed with Myocarditis due to COVID-19 and didn't play 2020 season. Rodriguez said he vomited after each attempt at eating. His sense of taste and smell vanished. He lost 20 pounds in 10 days. He shivered in the shower regardless of the temperature of the water. He also had trouble getting out of bed, and wondered if he would have to be taken to the hospital. After two weeks, Rodriguez tested negative for the virus. He was cleared to return to the Red Sox. But once he got back, he quickly noticed something was wrong. Rodriguez couldn't make it through bullpen sessions due to fatigue. He had to stop two sessions after only 10 pitches because he felt like he was going to faint. Rodriguez lived a sedentary lifestyle for months.
Ella Eastin	1997	Swimmer (Olympian - United States)	(COVID 1/2020?) She woke from a nap in early January 2020 and fainted in her apartment in California. She hasn’t been the same since (6/2021). She spent years training six days a week at Stanford, pursuing an Olympic dream. But after that nap and that fall, Eastin’s life turned into something she could not have imagined, what she called “a medical mystery journey.” “I was unable to get my heart rate up and had extreme muscle fatigue and weakness even when I would try to exert more energy,” Eastin said. “It felt like I could only move in slow motion, but was exhausted after any exercise at all.” It took eight months to learn what was going on. “Some doctors speculated that there’s a chance that I got COVID and am now dealing with long-term complications,” Eastin said.
Emilo Estevez	1962	Actor (The Mighty Ducks, The Breakfast Club, +)	(COVID 3/2020) Estevez stated that he suffered “long haul syndrome,” otherwise known as Long COVID. “I suffered the summer and fall of 2020 from what we now know as ‘Long Haul Syndrome,'” Estevez said in his statement.
Emily Regan	1988	Rower (Olympian - United States)	(COVID 4/2020) The most severe symptoms left Regan largely bedridden for two days and struggling to muster the energy to climb a flight of stairs. She spent three months working to regain her health and resume her training regimen, having been reduced to the athletic ability of an average high school girl. “I have teammates who were dealing with complications from COVID for over 2 months. So if you don't think the virus is that big of a deal because you are young, healthy, or fit, please consider my story. My guess is that my teammates and I are at a minimum healthier and fitter than most of you and it knocked many of us down hard. I have personally never experienced any other illness like this.”
Emma Samms	1960	Actor (Dynasty, General Hospital, +)	(COVID 3/2020) Returned to General Hospital, but has to take days off to lay in bed. Was not working for two years due to Long COVID and faces daily challenges from the “frightening” disease."I told them if I stand still for too long, I might fall over. I might lose my voice if I talk too much. I sometimes sound gaspy." Samms has faced daily battles with fatigue, breathlessness, blood pressure changes and tinnitus after a second bout with the virus in June (as of 10/2022).
Emma Warren	????	Podcaster/Writer (Make Some Space: Tuning Into Total Refreshment Centre +)	(COVID 1/2021) “Everybody gets tired, but with fatigue, you’re kind of sitting underneath the waterline and you’re not able to operate in ways that other people can.” Warren, who was close to submitting the first draft of a book before contracting COVID found that she was unable to synthesize information. “I could read, I could take it in, but I couldn’t put it back out again,” she says. “I was unable to finish that draft because I couldn’t work; not just because of fatigue, but because my cognitive function was affected.”
English Gardner	1992	Runner (Olympic Sprinter - United States)	(COVID 4/2021) Toward the end of her Olympic preparation in late April, Gardner caught COVID-19 and endured long-haul symptoms. Gardner suffered muscle cramps, leg pain, joint swelling and an entire body rash. When she tried to start training again, she had respiratory problems. Her trainer had to ease her into workouts. At first, it was a struggle for her to do multiple rounds per day. Four hours after a session, her resting heart rate would still exceed 100 beats per minute. She was getting optical migraines to the point where she was seeing spots. Five minutes after the race she ran was over, she still had difficulty catching her breath.
Eva Herzigova	1973	Actor/Model	(COVID 12/2020) She posted on Instagram that she was “getting stronger every day,” but the following month, she checked into a medical spa in Switzerland to recuperate, writing, “I felt like my body can’t manage on its own to get rid off [sic] the lingering symptoms.” Herzigova stated even walking the red carpet at July’s 2021 Cannes Film Festival was a struggle. “It was real; it was serious … I had symptoms forever, like forever,” she told the outlet. “It’s very debilitating when you realize how much energy you actually need to speak. It’s hard when you just can’t manage. This virus has a far-reaching effect.”
Finlay MacNab	2000	Soccer (Wimbledon)	(COVID ?) Professional footballer Finlay MacNab has not been able to play the game for more than a year because of Long COVID.
Frank Stabler	1989	Wrestler (Olympian - Germany)	(COVID 10/2020) Germany's three-time wrestling world champion says he is struggling to recover from a lung problem caused by the coronavirus, which has forced him out of next month's planned World Cup in Belgrade. Stabler estimates his lung capacity is 20 percent down compared to before he fell ill. "I had mild symptoms, like a slight cold. I couldn't taste or smell anything," he said. However, when he returned to training "during a stress test, I had a real slump, my pump (heart) was burning like hell." Competing in Belgrade was an "intended as an interim goal on the way to the (2021) Olympics in Tokyo." "He issued a warning to anyone dismissive of the virus. "I can only say to young people who feel as unassailable as I did... even for non-risk groups there can be severe consequences."
Gavilan Rayna Russom	1974	Musician (LCD Soundsystem)	(COVID Early 2020) Had to leave LCD Soundsystem, a group she’s performed with since 2008, due to contracting a severe case of COVID-19. “Largely why I didn’t go to the hospital is because my local hospital is Elmhurst [in Queens, New York], and, at the time there were refrigerator trucks of dead bodies outside,” she said. Russom says that she still experiences persistent post-COVID symptoms, such as migraines and disorientation, which factored into her hesitance to perform live.
Gavin Mitchell	1964	Actor (Still Game, +)	(COVID 7/2021) Still suffering from the effects of COVID months after falling ill from the virus. He has described the experience as “truly terrifying." “I don’t know where I got COVID. I tested positive,” Gavin said. “It was unbelievable because I’d been double jabbed and I had been exceptionally careful."
Gerard McLarnon	1958-1959	Cycling	(COVID 3/2020) Gerard completed the Etape Loch Ness with an oxygen tank on his back after spending 70 days in hospital with COVID-19. Gerard McLarnon was on a ventilator for 40 days and had to learn how to walk and talk again. He had intended to complete the 66-mile (106km) sportive in March 2020, but was admitted to hospital with COVID.
Gez Medinger	????	Filmmaker	(COVID 3/2020) Author of the Long COVID Handbook, experienced long term issues due to COVID. His symptoms included: waves of fatigue he describes as "like you've been drugged", headaches, severe cognitive problems, post-exertional malaise, and skin problems including eczema and a rash.
Gill Deacon	1966	Author/Journalist (CBC Radio, +)	(COVID Summer 2021) Her otherwise healthy heart began erratic pounding — atrial ectopic beats, the cardiologist said at the time — at all hours of the day and night. Soon developed other symptoms initially mistaken for a flu. But it was Long COVID. Sinuses hurt but nose wasn't stuffed up or runny. Sinusitis virus, she was told. She was thirstier than usual. Test for diabetes, they said. She had no energy. Blood work and ultrasound of thyroid. Her stomach often gurgles and cramps after she eats. Refer to gastroenterologist for endoscopy. The top of her head is chilly and tingly. Rest, they said, it's a virus. Eventually, the discomfort became untenable, and by December 2022 she had to leave work as a CBC radio host.
Grainne Kelly	1989	Triathlete	(COVID 9/2020) Grainne was training up to three times a day and cycled hundreds of kilometres per week before she was struck down with COVID-19. She also experiencing COVID related "brain fog", which she says is the most terrifying symptom of all. She said: “My symptoms are completely different compared to this time last year. This year, it’s affecting my speech, my memory, and swallowing. It got to a stage where I couldn't remember which was power on versus which was power off on a switch. It’s really starting to show cognitively. My biggest fear is that it's killing off brain cells and these cells can’t be healed again." “I was the fittest and healthiest version of myself before getting COVID. I’m so healthy, I’ve never drank, I've never smoked, and I was training like a machine. ... Then when I got COVID, I was absolutely destroyed."
Grigor Dimitrov	1991	Tennis (Pro - Bulgaria)	(COVID 6/2020) Former world #3 tennis player Grigor Dimitrov discussed the "very unpredictable" symptoms he suffered, and how the COVID "lingered for a while." Reflecting on his return to playing in August, Dimitrov says: "I almost feel I shouldn't have gone to the States but I had to test myself, I had to know where my body was at. Every time I wanted to see it was maybe a couple of steps forward but maybe one step backwards." He said: "I feel way, way better - I don't even take naps any more or anything like that. But there are some things here and there that you're like 'Oh man, that's not the same'."
Gus Kenworthy	1991	Skier (Olympian - United States)	(COVID 11/2021?) He woke up one morning and he couldn’t taste or smell anything and suspected that he had a breakthrough COVID-19 infection, which a test later confirmed. “I certainly was able to see how serious it was." When Kenworthy flew home after his bout with COVID-19 and returned to the gym, he noticed he still struggled with symptoms what's called Long COVID. “I would be fine at the beginning then shortly before the end of the workout I would get super super lightheaded and nauseous to the point that I actually threw up a couple of times,” he explained. In December he had to skip a few World Cup events because he was still struggling.
Gwyneth Paltrow	1972	Actor/Business (Goop, Iron Man, +)	(COVID Early 2020) "I had COVID-19 early on, and it left me with some long-tail fatigue and brain fog," Paltrow wrote. Paltrow says that after taking tests in January "that showed really high levels of inflammation in my body," she's been on a "road to healing" with a functional medicine doctor. She's also cut out sugar and alcohol. She's also incorporating plenty of supplements.
Heather Mallick	1959	Journalist (Toronto Star)	(COVID ?) Heather has stated COVID won’t loosen its fatigue-inducing grip on me. The worst symptom is lack of sleep.
Heidi Ferrer	1970 (Passed Away at Age 50)	Writer (Dawson's Creek, +)	(COVID 4/2020) Heidi committed suicide after a yearlong battle with Long COVID and a COVID Vaccine Injury. Her spouse, Nick Guthe, stated she took her own life May 26, 2021. She had contracted COVID-19 in April 2020 and was still fighting the virus over a year later. Ferrer was “bedridden and in constant physical pain” in May due to her vaccine injury, including severe neurological tremors. She had improved a lot from her Long Haul COVID, but then took a Moderna COVID Shot and went back downhill.
Hughie Fury	1994	Boxer (Pro - England)	(COVID ?) Fury has been unable to fight for over a year due to having Long COVID (hasn't fought since 10/16/21 as of 10/31/2022). In early October he issued a statement withdrawing from the fight saying he had been advised by doctors to take total rest, that he felt "weak with no strength" and was taking time away for the rest of the year.
J Balvin	1985	Singer	(COVID 2020) "My last episode of anxiety and depression was a year and a half after I had COVID. It just triggered it. And it's been a year and a half trying to get back to normal. I still got some flashbacks and things, but look. It took me a year and a half to be back. I'm at 90%." "If you have anxiety, depression, plus COVID, you feel like you're really dead."
Jackie Ellen Last	1975	Radio Host/TV Host	(COVID 2022) Radio host Jackie O is stepping away from her long-running breakfast show with co-host Kyle Sandilands in order to recover from health issues months after contracting COVID-19. She had received medical advice to stop working in order to address an enduring cough and fatigue.
Jamaal Lascelles	1993	Soccer (Newcastle)	(COVID 11-12/2020) Couldn't train for at least a month & didn't play in a game for about 2 months.
James Inhofe	1934	Politician (Senator - United States)	(COVID 2022) GOP Ex-Senator Inhofe retired due to Long COVID. Symptoms were still affecting him day-to-day. He did not say which symptoms he was dealing with, but suggested he was in good company, alleging that other elected representatives in Congress are also struggling with long COVID behind the scenes. “Five or six others have (Long COVID), but I’m the only one who admits it,” Inhofe told Tulsa World.
Jared Walsh	1993	Baseball (Los Angeles Angles)	(COVID Mid-2020) Robbed him of the ability to play baseball at his highest level, but it was also robbed him of sleep. It robbed him of his ability to simply move his body without tremors. It robbed him of his depth perception. He’d walk into walls, unable to properly understand where his body was in relation to everything else. Was an all star in 2021. That success was nowhere to be found in 2022. These symptoms were at the heart of his on-field failures. Walsh kept the illness a secret. Walsh believes neurological symptoms exacerbated his problems with TOS. He kept it private as long as he could. He played through it as long as he could. Getting help was the only option. “For the longevity of my career, and reclaiming my life back,” Walsh said, “it was a decision I felt like I had to make.” Walsh believes that COVID-19 could have played a role in his issues. He tested positive for the virus on three separate occasions, beginning in mid-2020. He said he felt as though the virus didn’t affect him much at the time, but acknowledged these long-term impacts could have a direct correlation.” “Tough to go hit off the Astros when you can’t walk straight." The worst of his symptoms were — and are — his tremors. His body shook, and it still does at times. The insomnia was hard on him and made it tough to play baseball on a daily basis. He’d wake up in the middle of the night and stay up for a while.
Jayson Tatum	1998	Basketball (Boston Celtics)	(COVID 1/9/21) Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum has also had issues getting his wind under him. Tatum returned to the floor after missing more than two weeks. Tatum detailed his struggles to feel 100 percent, saying: “Just running up and down the court a few times, it’s easier to get out of breath or tired a lot faster. I’ve noticed that since I’ve had COVID. It’s just something I’m working on. It’s gotten better since the first game I played, but I still deal with it from time to time." Uses inhaler before games even 3 months+ out from infection.
Jazmin Grace Grimaldi	1992	Actor/Singer	(COVID 7/2020) Said her symptoms included 'debilitating' migraines and a fever. Her symptoms had deteriorated and she was hospitalized (about a month and a half after her COVID diagnosis). "The pain is so uncomfortable and debilitating and there is not much to do but to rest, and ice packs for some relief. I am sharing my story so that all of you can be aware and maybe share in similar symptoms." Grimaldi told her followers that she had experienced a new range of symptoms, including 'a chickenpox-like rash...uncomfortable body aches with longer severe pain by my lungs/rib cage, flashes of fever, and debilitating migraines.' She added that a series of tests of Friday found she had low white blood cell and lymphocyte counts, as well as other indicators that the virus was active, leading to the decision to hospitalize her.
Jean-Kevin Augustin	1997	Pro Soccer (Nantes)	(COVID 5/2021?) Suffered from depression, Long COVID, & Guillain-Barre Syndrome. He took 14 months to recover to return to play. The road to recovery was long – he would improve with every training session, but every time the workload increased he would end up back in the physio’s hands. On returning with the reserves in the summer, his level was still far below what was required. Didn't play from 5/22/21 to 10/16/22.
Jeff Bridges	1949	Actor (The Big Lebowski, Tron, +)	(COVID 1/2021) Bridges was hospitalized with COVID-19. He got exposed while undergoing Chemotherapy. "Soon after, my wife Sue and I share an ambulance to the ICU. We both got the 'Rona. Sue spends 5 days in the hospital. Me...? I'm there 5 weeks." Since he's been home, Bridges said Monday, he's been working with a therapist to help strengthen his lung capacity and get him off the supplemental oxygen he had been relying on since his COVID-19 diagnosis.
Jeremy Lin	1988	Basketball (Beijing Ducks)	(COVID 8/7/2021) Lost 20 ponds due to Long COVID. Lin is back to active competition with the Beijing Ducks after a 10-month absence and long battle with COVID-19.
Joanna Zeiger	1970	Triathlete (Olympian - United States)	(COVID 7/2021) "I was fitter than someone else in the general public who didn’t spend their life as a competitive athlete,” says Zeiger. That changed, however, when she got a breakthrough Covid-19 infection in July of 2021 despite being fully vaccinated against it. “The infection was awful,” says Zeiger. It raged for weeks. She developed widespread pneumonia in both lungs, and was prescribed antiviral medications and supplemental oxygen at home. “I never felt fully recovered,” says Zeiger. For four months after she contracted Covid-19 Zeiger says she was extremely fatigued and suffered from brain fog and severe migraines (which she had not had before). She says she also experienced light-headedness, fainting, and a rapid heartbeat. She was diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), a condition in which your heart starts to race when you stand up because of a problem with your autonomic nervous system’s ability to regulate blood flow. She says she was dizzy all the time.
Joel Fram	1967-1968	Conductor (Company, +)	(COVID 3/2020) On the morning that Broadway shut down in March 2020, Joel Fram woke up with a high fever, which evolved into a terrible sore throat and trouble breathing. Mr. Fram had gotten COVID-19. Two years later, he is still suffering. His initial symptoms faded after a few weeks but then returned in the familiar constellation we now know as Long COVID. Fatigue so deep that he would fall asleep during a conversation. Shortness of breath. A constant, painful migraine behind his eye. “The world was in monochrome, when for everyone else, even though we were in the middle of a pandemic, it seemed to be in Technicolor.” Mr. Fram was used to having boundless energy. He could go to lunch, conduct a high-energy show like “Wicked,” do a Zoom call with his mother, bake a cake, wake up the next morning and do it again, a friend said. Suddenly, he couldn’t do a fraction of the things he would normally do.
Jonathan Davis	1971	Singer (Korn)	(COVID 8/2021) Korn frontman Jonathan Davis has said that he is “still fatigued like crazy” after contracting COVID-19 last year. The singer tested positive for the virus two weeks after Korn embarked on their 2021 US tour. As a result, the band were forced to cancel six of their scheduled concerts. Davis returned to resume the run of shows after recovering, but performed while sitting on a throne for the majority of the set. He said at the time that he’d been “struggling with COVID after-effects” and was “feeling very weak.” Davis said, “I didn’t eat for a month, damn near."
Jonathan Toews	1988	Hockey (Chicago Blackhawks)	(COVID 2/2020) Missed the entire 2020-21 season for the Chicago Blackhawks due to “chronic immune response syndrome." “I just think there were a lot of things that just piled up where my body just fell apart,” Toews says. “So what they’re calling it was chronic immune response syndrome where I just couldn’t quite recover and my immune system was reacting to everything that I did, any kind of stress. Anything that I would do throughout the day.” Toews also said he’s “probably a COVID long-hauler” dating to February 2020.
Jonathan Walton	1990	Rower (Olympian - England)	(COVID 3/2020) "I was scared I was never going to be the same again." Walton described his early symptoms as: "My heart rate was massively up. We do do a lot of altitude training but it was like being at altitude and having to breathe through a straw. ... We got on the rowing machine and it appeared that my physiology had just gone overnight, and just kind of fallen off a cliff." "It took a good two to three months to finally fully get over it. Looking back it is a little bit scary and it really does show that anyone can get it."
Jools Oliver	1975-1975	Business	(COVID 2020) Jamie Oliver revealed that Jools has been suffering with her health in recent years. He admitted that his wife of 22 years has Long COVID and still struggles with the side effects of the disease after becoming very ill when she contracted it back in 2020.
Joshua Kimmich	1995	Soccer (Bayern Munich)	(COVID 11/2021) Joshua Kimmich was been ruled out until the New Year (2022) after suffering a lung problem as a result of COVID-19. Kimmich said he is now "fine" but added he is not yet allowed to push his body to the limit "due to slight infiltration" on his lungs. Was unable to play at all for more than 2 months.
Joshua Roman	1963	Cellist	(COVID 7/2022) Has not recovered from Long COVID as of 12/2023.
Junior Sambia	1996	Soccer (Montpellier)	(COVID 4/2020?) Montpellier midfielder Junior Sambia, the first Ligue 1 player to be struck down with the coronavirus, is on the road to recovery and is preparing to leave hospital, the club said Saturday. He was diagnosed with coronavirus and provisionally put into an artificial coma. Didn't play a game for 5.5 months.
Justin Foster	1998	Football (Clemson Tigers)	(COVID Summer 2020) From the first workout, he struggled for breath while he ran, and after practices he collapsed in bed. No amount of sleep was enough. "Even when you feel your best day, you're still so tired," Justin says. "You can't really keep up. You can't do anything." As it became harder to function, doubt seeped in. Despite a lifetime of evidence to the contrary, "it was almost to the point where I just felt lazy," he says. What Foster did not know, and would not know for months, was that he was a part of the COVID-19 population that was only beginning to reveal itself. He was a long-hauler. He wound up missing the 2020 season.
Justin Moon	1984-1985	Football (Former Alabama Crimson Tide)	(COVID 7/2021) Former Division I college football player for the University of Alabama Crimson Tide. Coronavirus left him fighting for his life. “I actually died for 4 minutes, and they paddled me and brought me back.” He said he had no known underlying health conditions. “I was never sick, and never missed a day of work,” said Moon, who has spent more than 10 weeks in the hospital, including nearly six weeks on a ventilator. “I could not do anything but blink. I could not talk, did not raise my head up off the pillow. You got to understand, being a 300-pound former athlete … man, that was tough.” What had first seemed to be a sinus infection in July, turned out to be much more severe than anyone could have imagined, said Moon’s wife, Mel. Moon still has a long road ahead of him, undergoing grueling rehabilitation, as he works to regain his strength and his sense of feeling in his dominant right arm, which is still completely numb. He is also learning how to stand up and walk again, and he still needs oxygen after walking a few feet (as of 10/1/21).
Kai Havertz	1999	Soccer (Chelsea, Germany)	(COVID 2021?) ‘The illness hit me hard,’ Kai reflected at a press conference. ‘It lasted some four to five weeks before I could even think of getting back on to a football pitch. During the time I was ill, I was quite ill, to be honest. And I wish it upon absolutely no one. ‘Then the aftermath was difficult, too. I really had to work hard to get back to the pre-Covid fitness levels. You have to live with it.
Karl Anthony-Towns	1995	Basketball (Minnesota T-Wolves)	(COVID 1/15/21) "COVID did not treat me well whatsoever. A lot of scary nights. One of the things that I told my sister when I got COVID was that, 'Hey, I got it, and I don't got a good version of it. I got a lot of COVID in me, but I am going to fight and beat it.'" Missed 13 games. In addition to his personal experience, Towns has lost his mother and six (seven other family memebers now) other family members to coronavirus. "Through all the long nights where I was just not feeling well whatsoever and the vitals weren't good and decisions had to be made on my health, I kept [my family and my niece and nephew] in mind," Towns added. "They pushed me to continue doing things. When COVID kept messing with my body, my mind and spirit, I thought about them and my mother." "I felt very guilty about the treatment I got. And I feel that should be more widely available to Americans, to anyone in the world. ... There is such mental strain through all this time, a feeling of guilt because of the resources I have, and I wish I could spread these resources with as many people as possible. The guilt, just a lot of demons I haven't dealt with that I put to the back burner for basketball."
Karl Darlow	1990	Soccer (Newcastle)	(COVID 7/2021) Spent three days on a hospital drip leaving him 'severely worried'. He only just returned to full fitness following 'awful fatigue' and a five-kilos weight loss. "I ended up driving myself into hospital about 11 or 12 o'clock at night, just so I could get hydrated, because I wasn't able to swallow with my glands so swollen. ... I had nearly every single symptom, I think. The hot and cold, diarrhea, everything, it wasn't nice. Weight wise, I wasn't able to eat or drink for three or four days, so I ended up losing about five kilos."
Keith Lee	1984	Wrestler	(COVID 1/2021) Keith was unable to wrestle for five months from February to July (2021) due to Long COVID. He came back for one match in February, but he got a call the next day informing him that there was something off in his blood. "Some people may have experienced this thing where there's like an inflammation in the heart or lungs, for me it was the heart," Lee said. "That led to very scary times. I was basically forbidden from training or any activity outside of a light walk. There was a fear that doing more than that—that there was a chance that I could just up and pass away." "Very fortunately, even though it took a long time—we waited that amount of time—for that allowed the inflammation in my heart to eventually go down to normal. So even though the first MRI was bad and the second one was worse, over time things got better here and there."
Kelly Price	1973	Singer	(COVID 7/2021?) The Grammy-nominated singer told TMZ Sept. 26, 2021, that she had a serious case of COVID-19 that not only landed her in the hospital, but was near fatal. “At one point, they lost me,” Price said of when she was hospitalized. “I died.” She went on to explain that though she’s home now, she has long-haul COVID. “I am facing a very uphill battle right now. … I suffered a lot of internal damage, and so I have a lot of rehabbing to do.”
Kenley Jansen	1987	Baseball (Los Angeles Dodgers)	(COVID 6/2020) The biggest affect of the coronavirus has been on his conditioning, as he still gets shortness of breath at times, more than a month after testing positive. “All those months you work out so hard, then you have to shut it down for two weeks. Still today, I’m trying to get to 100%,” Jansen said on a conference call Wednesday. “It definitely takes a toll on your body. It’s not a virus to play around with. “You see what it does to your body, and try to get back to normal but it takes some time.” At its worst, Jansen said he experienced a terrible headache, chest pains, chills, a lack of energy, and his whole body was aching.
Khamzat Chimaev	1994	Fighter (UFC)	(Fall 2020) Chimaev contractrd SARS-CoV-2 and that knocked him out of a scheduled matchup with Leon Edwards that was to headline a UFC Fight. The fight was twice rescheduled and cancelled twice more, both times because Chimaev was still recovering from COVID-19 symptoms. Chimaev’s struggles with the virus were well documented, with manager Majdi Shammas claiming that Chimaev ‘thought he was going to die’ following an incident in which symptoms resulted in him having to go to the hospital. "I was thinking, one month sick, and still two months sick, how to finish with this? Now I start to be healthy, now I’m hungry again," Chimaev said. He walked back that retirement talk and also blames himself for aggravating his symptoms during a recent visit to Las Vegas. “When I go to the sparring, I told him I’m only gonna do pads. I was lying. I jumped in between the gaps in sparring, I did three rounds and then I feel bad, like in my chest. I did hard sparring with some guy, I feel bad. I go home, blood starts to come out.” Chimaev said he was not worried about his own health or the possibility that he might die, rather he was concerned for who would take care of his mother and family should his condition worsen.
Lee Hoedl	????	Climber/Runner	(COVID End 2020) "It's been harder (to train for his climb). I lost two years of my life, in terms of training (due to COVID)," Hoedl said. "When they did a scan of my lungs, the doctor said it looked like somebody had taken broken glass and shredded it — just sprinkled it across my lungs," Hoedl said. "So, I spent the last year and a half trying to get my lungs back."
Lena Duham	1986	Actor (Girls, +)	(COVID 3/2020) COVID brought on rushing fatigue, as well as achy joints and a high fever. The nerves in her feet burned and muscles wouldn’t seem to do their job. Her hands were numb and she couldn’t tolerate loud noises. "I couldn’t sleep but I couldn’t wake up. I lost my sense of taste and smell. A hacking cough, like a metronome keeping time. Inability to breathe after simple tasks like getting a glass of water. Random red rashes. A pounding headache right between my eyes." This went on for 21 days. "Still has lingering symptoms of the virus, including arthritis, swollen hands and feet, and a constant migraine." (as of 7/31/20)
Lewis Hamilton	1985	Race Car Driver (Formula 1)	(COVID 12/2020) Hamilton is suffering with the symptoms of Long COVID after he required medical attention in the wake of Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix (race was on 8/21/21). Hamilton was visibly struggling after the 70-lap race. He was assisted on to the podium, and then appeared unable to summon the strength to hold his celebratory champagne bottle. Hamilton was taken to see the Mercedes team doctor suffering from fatigue and mild dizziness. Lewis said: “I haven’t spoken to anyone particularly about Long COVID, but I think it is lingering there. I was having real dizziness and everything got a bit blurry on the podium. I have been fighting with staying healthy following what happened at the end of last year, but still it’s a battle. I remember the effects of when I had COVID, and training has been different ever since then. The level of fatigue that you get is different and it’s a real challenge."
Lindsey Port	1982-1983	Politician (Minnesota State Senator - United States)	(COVID 3/2020) Minnesota State Senator Lindsey Port contracted COVID-19 more than two years ago and was still battling the illness. Lindsey Port struggles some days to grip her pen or firmly shake hands. She takes her longer meetings sitting down or over Zoom. Her sneakers are no longer a fashion statement but a necessity to deal with recurring numbness and tingling in her toes and feet. Sometimes, that feeling spreads to part of her leg, forcing her to walk with a cane. "In this place it feels like everyone thinks the pandemic is done," said Port in an interview in her St. Paul office. "It's a little painful and frustrating for me to hear that, because I'm literally sitting here in pain because of it, and I have unanswered questions and changes to my life. I know that I'm far from alone in that." "People are still getting COVID right now and people are starting to get symptoms of Long COVID right now," said Port. "It's not over and it's important for us as leaders to remember that. We need to say that part out loud." She also started getting kidney stones, a red flag for her doctor. Decreased kidney function is a leading symptom of Long COVID in women younger than 50. A biopsy showed her kidneys were healthy, but her brain wasn't telling her kidneys to do their job. She had to do a short stint of dialysis until her kidneys were functioning properly again.
Lionel Messi	1987	Soccer (PSG)	(COVID 1/2022) Messi noted that when he initially became unwell with COVID-19, he experienced the typical symptoms of the virus – sore throat, coughing and fever. However, when the initial effects cleared up he continued to struggle with respiratory issues. “It left me with after effects. It left me with after effects in my lungs. I came back and it was like a month and a half without even being able to run because my lungs were affected,” Messi said Monday. Messi went on to say that he pushed himself to return to the pitch too quickly from the complications which worsened their effects. “I came back before I should have, and it got worse because I went too fast and it ended up setting me back. But I couldn’t take it anymore, I wanted to run, to train – I wanted to get going. And in the end, it got worse,” he said.
Lizzy Banks	1990	Cycling (England, +)	(COVID ?) “And then I caught COVID the day before my first race. So that was a challenge. I thought I was recovered when I came back for Gent-Wevelgem. And then in Dwars Door Vlaanderen, I realized I wasn’t. I was experiencing chest pain and burning in my chest and shortness of breath, which quickly got worse and worse to the point that I had to go to A&E because it was symptoms that felt similar to having a heart attack. So yes, it was scary. And it was also at the same time that Sonny Colbrelli had had his very scary incident at the end of whichever race it was, where he collapsed and had a cardiac arrest.”
Luuka Jones	1988	Canoeist (Olympian - New Zealand)	(COVID 3/2022) Luuka decided to take a break from canoe slalom, after experiencing Long COVID. Jones faced fatigue and high heart rates while training for sporting events overseas. She has come back to Aotearoa to rest, until fit to train again. "I took five or six weeks to get back to more normal training, then I left New Zealand, flew over to Paris to begin my European campaign," she says. "After maybe eight days - I had landed, I was jet lagged and I did what was still a conservative training load - but it just pushed me off a cliff and I just hit a wall, couldn't train anymore." Jones says she would try and do a normal paddling session and feel 'puffed,' 'fatigued' and 'have to go straight to bed' afterwards. "So it was a really difficult decision to come back home. I've never had to do that before. Never missed any of the races I'd planned to race," she says. Jones mentioned hyperbaric chamber was helping her recover from Long COVID.
Madeline Miller	1978	Author (Song of Achilles, +)	(COVID 4/2020?) Madeline Miller discusses Long COVID struggle: ‘My body feels poisoned’. The author detailed in a lengthy post how she has been living with Long COVID for over 2 1/2 years. It has impacted her ability to work, think, and live. Miller shared a lengthy Instagram post on Oct. 21, detailing her struggle with the long-term coronavirus symptoms that she’s had “for over two and a half years.” “My symptoms include trouble breathing, tachycardia, enervation, tinnitus, and trouble focusing. When I wake up, I don’t feel rested." “My body feels poisoned — drugged and leaden. My brain feels like it’s on fire and not in the good way.”
Maia Lumsden	1998	Tennis (Pro - Scotland)	(COVID 10/2020) Scottish player, Maia Lumsden, sidelined for 18 months by Long COVID is concerned players are risking their health by not taking the disease seriously. She is slowly rebuilding her career after being bed-bound for months after contracting COVID-19. Lumsden only had a mild case of coronavirus, but became very unwell several weeks later and feared her career was over after a number of unsuccessful attempts to return to physical activity. “I’m still not 100 per cent, I’m still building. Singles wise sometimes it’s still quite difficult, the highest intensity points. Over the next couple of months I hope that I can build that match fitness up again."
Marianne Faithfull	1946	Singer	(COVID 3/2020) “What I have…is called long-term COVID. It means you don’t have the virus anymore— you’re better, but you’re left with this payback: my lungs, my memory, and my fatigue. But my doctor says that in six months or a year, I will get better.” She's survived Breast Cancer, Hepatitis C, and an infection resulting from a broken hip, but, Faithfull says her recent bout with COVID-19 and its lingering long-term effects has been the hardest battle she's fought. After she was hospitalised with COVID-19 and fell into a coma, her manager sent the recordings to Faithfull’s friend to see if he would compose music to accompany them. Neither was sure Faithfull would live to hear the finished product. Marianne has admitted she is still suffering from Long COVID 15 months after first falling victim to coronavirus.
Marie-Sophie Zeidler	1999	Rower (Olympian - Germany)	(COVID 10/2020 - 2nd Time) When she resumed training after her COVID-19 illness her body went on strike at 30 percent of her usual maximum load. Her heart and lung functions were borderline; her oxygen intake catastrophic. She is preparing for qualification events for the Paris 2024 Olympics, but has had to deal with two bouts of Long COVID in the last three years. At the time she contracted COVID for the 2nd time, her lung capacity was reduced to 60 percent. "It's extremely frightening to see how quickly the body can break down, even though you're actually fit," Zeidler says. For six months after her first infection in October 2020, she struggled with Long COVID. Long COVID symptoms such as rapid physical exhaustion, shortness of breath and other unpleasantries before she regained her former fitness. "Yes, medicine has now advanced and there are medications," says Zeidler. The anti-COVID medicine has helped and now everything goes faster, she says.
Mario Lemina	1993	Soccer (Nice)	(COVID 1/2022) On 17 January 2022, Lemina announced his retirement from the Gabon national team. He had just been released by Gabon following a heart complication due to COVID-19. Examination showed cardiac lesions after COVID-19. He was able to return to play for Gabon eventually.
Mark Sebastian Fisher	1967-1968	Chef	(COVID ?) Top chef is closing his Michelin-rated restaurant after losing his sense of taste and smell due to COVID. 'We have been here for 33 years, I'll be 55 next year' said Mark, who trained with top chefs in France and Switzerland.
Maynard James Keenan	1964	Singer (Tool)	(COVID 2/2020 & 11/2020) Had ‘ugly’ second experience with COVID-19. He revealed that he “got it like mid-November (2020) and ended up in the ER on December 1.” “Ugly, ugly. Couldn’t breathe,” he continued. “I could barely put two words together without going into a coughing fit that, you know? It ended up kind of also progressing into pneumonia. So, if I stayed in the hospital, they said, ‘Okay, we can keep you here, but you’re fighting 12 other people for a bed and a ventilator we don’t have, so what do you want to do?’ I’m like, ‘Well, I need to breathe and I need to sleep.’ So, you’re just treating symptoms at that point. There’s nothing you can do other than treat the symptom, so for a real cough medicine, not the crap over-the-counter and then like an inhaler, and some antibiotics to fight the pneumonia and strap the f— in.” He stated that he contracted coronavirus in February and was still recovering eight months later. “I’m still dealing with the residual effects,” he said at the time, “But it was ugly. I survived it, but it wasn’t pretty. So I definitely had to deal with that.”
Meredith Coloian	2002-2003	Soccer (High School)	(COVID 1/2021?) Meredith struggled to play for even 10 minutes during games with her club team after contracting SARS-CoV-2. Her symptoms were mild, “like having a cold,” she says, although she did lose her senses of taste and smell for a while. However, the fleet-footed athlete, whose best attribute is her endurance in fast-paced high-level soccer games, would almost immediately feel winded and chest pain when she tried to compete in matches. “I’ve been tired on the field before, but it was never a feeling like this,” she observes. “I felt chest pain right away, as soon as I started running. It wasn’t horrible, just uncomfortable. I thought it might take a couple of days to get better, but it kept getting progressively worse. And this is right while I’m going through the recruiting process for college scholarships.” She went on to play for John Carroll University.
Michael Kushner	????	Photographer	(COVID 3/2020) Behind the scenes Kushner has been fighting an intense two-year battle to diagnose myriad symptoms cascading from first-wave COVID-19. “A blood clot. After two years of telling numerous doctors that COVID left me feeling completely re-wired, and no one really believing me, they finally found what COVID causes: a blood clot,” he posted on Instagram after learning the news. “It was such a different sensation than other illnesses,” he said. “It felt like the flu, but it wasn’t. I went to the hospital, but they turned me away because I wasn’t showing symptoms that required hospitalization I did have a fever, but I didn’t have shortness of breath. So I went home, and then the next day I lost my smell and taste.” “About a month after contracting COVID, I did a short at-home workout on YouTube — and it was as if I had never moved my body before,” said Kushner. “I’m a theater artist, and I’m very used to over-extending my body and understanding its physical capacity, and here I was after a rinky dink eight-minute ab workout beet red, sweating profusely, feeling like I was about to pass out. It didn’t seem normal.” “After I started showing signs of rectal bleeding in addition to fatigue and brain fog, I was starting to identify as a long-hauler,” said Kushner. Going from doctor to doctor desperately looking for a diagnosis or treatment plan, Kushner was met with frustratingly indifferent and dismissive responses. “I sat down with one doctor and was like, ‘yeah, I’m a long-hauler,’” said Kushner. “And she went, ‘what’s that?’” He added: “Then they ghosted me. I had to get a specific referral for a gastrointestinal visit and I couldn’t get in contact with them — my insurance couldn’t even get in contact with them.” Over a year and a half after his first colonoscopy, Kushner was able to get the proper tests to determine that he had developed a blood clot. “I’m showing every symptom of Long COVID, but I have yet to be officially diagnosed by the nurse practitioner.”
Michael Ojo	1993 (Passed Away at Age 27)	Basketball (KK Crvena z.)	(COVID 6/2020) On July 6th, Ojo was diagnosed with pneumonia (lung infection) in the right lung, while a week later, a start of pneumonia in the left lung was noticed. All of these tests were done at a private clinic, which gave him twice the recommendations to go into the COVID infective referral clinic and at Belgrade. Ojo decided not to. His blood analysis was still bad on July 29th, while his exam on August 5th showed that pneumonia had slowed down. He was also developing antibodies that suggest he recovered from coronavirus and was getting his immunity back up. On the same day, Ojo got permission and a suggestion for light/moderate physical activity, which would mean that as soon as he would feel the least tired, he should stop. Ojo told his doctor that he trained even before he was cleared and that he was getting tired really fast. He practiced on July 31st, August 1st, and 4th, before dying during the next training session, three days later. Coronavirus and pneumonia, which followed could have impacted the heart condition of the deceased player.
Michelle Mone	1971	Business (MJM International, Ultimo)	(COVID 3/2021) Baroness Michelle Mone has revealed she's lost a stone-and-a-half (21 pounds) since battling with COVID-19 last year. “I had really bad COVID, I still get short of breath at the minute, I'm still not 100 percent but I'm definitely a lot better than I was,” she said. “But you know, I'm fit, I work out a lot, I'm in the gym every day, and I'd hate to have not been fit to cope with it. “Since I got COVID I've lost another stone-and-a-half, I couldn't eat." The businesswoman said she still gets “very out of breath” despite contracting COVID several months ago.
Mick Hucknall	1960	Singer (Simply Red)	(COVID 2/2022) Long Covid doesn't allow him to sleep and gives him heart palpitations at night. The singer was forced to cancel several shows after he contracted the virus. “I’ve got Long COVID. I go to bed and wake up in the night with my heart going ‘ba-boom, ba-boom, ba-boom.’ “I just have to grab two or three hours sleep when I can.”
Mo Bamba	1998	Basketball (Orlando Magic)	(COVID 6/11/20) Nearly six months later after testing positive, he still had not fully recovered. Leading into the 2021 NBA All-Star break, Bamba has only played 16 games for the Magic and has spent most of his time out of the rotation. Like many, his initial symptoms were loss of his senses: lack of taste and smell. He also dealt with fatigue and muscle soreness. His conditioning has held him back though he is cleared to play.
MyKayla Skinner	1996	Gymnast (Olympian - United States)	(COVID 12/2020) Team USA gymnast MyKayla Skinner landed in the hospital after developing pneumonia (March 2021), part of what she described as lingering problems related to COVID-19.
Nancy Mace	1977	Politician (South Carolina Congresswoman - United States)	(COVID 2020) “I, along with many Americans, have long-term effects from COVID,” she said. “Not only was I a long hauler, but I have effects from the vaccine. It wasn’t the first shot, but it was the second shot that I now developed asthma that has never gone away since the second shot. I have tremors in my left hand and I have the occasional heart pain that no doctor can explain." In a September 2021 op-ed, she described how she occasionally experienced fatigue and shortness of breath, as well as occasional hyperventilation during intense exercise, “something I never experienced before COVID.”
Nick Cordero	1978 (Passed Away at Age 41)	Actor (Bullets Over Broadway, +)	(COVID 3/2020) Cordero was initially diagnosed with pneumonia while staying with his wife and son at the guest house of Zach Braff. He was admitted to a hospital on March 30, 2020, where he was later diagnosed with COVID-19. Cordero was listed in critical condition, was placed on a ventilator, and was being treated with dialysis and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). On April 18, 2020, his right leg was amputated due to a blood clot as a result of complications from his illness. By May 1, 2020, he had major lung damage including "holes in his lungs" and lung scarring. A tracheostomy tube was inserted to help him breathe. On July 5, 2020, after 95 days in the hospital, Cordero died.
Oonagh Cousins	1995	Rower (Olympic Prospect - England)	(COVID 2/2020) She experienced a mild case of SARS-CoV-2, so she felt able to make a quick return to training. But she thinks that the intense exercise may have exacerbated the virus, adding that “it ended up developing into really bad Long COVID,” forcing her out of the Olympic team. “At its worst, for a couple of months, I would say I really struggled to get out of bed at all,” Cousins said. “Getting out of bed to make breakfast was a huge mountain to climb.” She said even now (as of 7/21/21), the “intense fatigue” only allows her to carry out a few hours of normal activity per day. “I’m really struggling to exercise still,” Cousins said. “Now, I can probably do three 20-minute sessions in a week, super lightly.” Her recovery is still ongoing, but her Olympic dreams for Tokyo are over.
Paige de Seymour	2001-2002	Soccer (College)	(COVID 2021) One year on from contracting COVID while playing college soccer in Iowa, de Seymour continues to suffer. “It’s still pretty rough,” says the 20-year-old from New Zealand. “Before I went away I was in the best shape of my life, running 15 to 20 kilometres easily. Today I struggle to run one to three kilometres.” Crippling fatigue, migraines and loss of cardiovascular capacity has meant de Seymour hasn’t been able to play soccer since returning to Auckland. After being so ill with COVID she was “scared she was going to die overnight.” “As soon as we got out of isolation, our college team coach put us back into full training. I had chest pains, struggled to breathe and my heart rate was at 222 beats per minute," she says. De Seymour says the coach was only interested in the team winning nationals. “He’d said to us, ‘ I hope all you girls get COVID soon so you won’t have to isolate during competition’.” So when de Seymour’s roommate contracted Covid, the coach made de Seymour isolate in the same room as her.
Paul Jones	2000-2001	Soccer (University of Akron)	(COVID Summer 2020) Jones was barely able to get out of bed for almost four weeks, laid low by COVID-19. “Luckily I wasn’t hospitalized, but I was pretty sick for two weeks and couldn’t smell or taste for around a month,” says Jones. When he arrived on campus last fall, he thought he was fully recovered. But when the weather started turning colder, he started experiencing shortness of breath. He thought maybe his fitness wasn’t in peak shape, and he rededicated himself to a rigorous gym regimen. He knew something more serious was going on when a half-mile walk from his dorm to the dining hall completely winded him. “I was on a phone call with my mom, and I had to hang up and sit down because I could barely breathe,” says Jones. His shortness of breath was immediately apparent to the team of specialists, with his lungs operating markedly less optimally than you would expect for a 20-year-old athlete in peak physical shape. The results were consistent with a diagnosis of asthma. The doctors explained to him that the asthma was a result of Long COVID.
Paul Pogba	1993	Soccer (Manchester University, France)	(COVID 8/26/20) "Even in training, I would say to the fitness coach that I feel strange. It's not me. I get tired very fast and I'm out of breath really fast." He was still not over the effects of COVID-19. "The first game of the season, I couldn't run," Pogba said. "I was trying. I spoke with the manager, 'I will start the game and let's see,' but I was very out of breath and it took me a long time to get back to my fitness and to get back physically good." Pogba has endured a difficult year, first suffering a serious ankle injury, contracting the virus, and being restricted to substitute appearances for the majority of the campaign.
Paulo Dybala	1993	Soccer (Juventus)	(COVID 4/2020) Dybala tested positive for COVID-19 four times in a six-week span in April (2020). Since returning to the pitch, Dybala's role has been drastically reduced due to "persistent fitness issues" as he's only scored two goals while averaging 7.2 minutes per 90 played.
Pele	1940 (Passed Away at Age 82)	Soccer (Retired - Brazil)	(COVID 11/2022) Pelé’s daughters said Pele was hospitalized after contracting a lung infection, following a COVID-19 infection. “Three weeks ago he had COVID. He is vaccinated with all doses but because of the cancer medication, the chemotherapy that makes him more fragile, he’s got a lung infection, and that is why he went to hospital,” his daughter stated. He passed away on 12/29/22.
Peter Sagan	1990	Cyclist (Slovakia)	(COVID 12/2021) Peter Sagan tested positive for COVID-19 three times in 18 months. The Slovakian superstar is training at the sunny heights of the Utah mountains to try to finally shake off a string of health problems that’s plagued the three-time world champion over the past two seasons. Speaking to Het Laatste Nieuws, Sagan’s coach Jens Van Beylen said the TotalEnergies star was mired in pain and discomfort which he categorized as “long” COVID.“We did a whole series of tests. We could not find a specific cause for his problems,” Van Beylen told Het Laatste Nieuws. “Peter felt tired, he had pain in his legs, after training and after the races. He had never felt that,” he said. “We decided that Peter was still feeling the aftermath of a coronavirus infection in late December, early January.”
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang	1989	Soccer (Arsenal, Gabon)	(COVID 1/2022) Examination showed cardiac lesions after COVID-19.
Piers Morgan	1965	Journalist (CNN, The Sun, +)	(COVID 7/2021) "Back in the gym game for first time in nearly a year. (Thanks, Long COVID, you will be very un-sorely missed)," Morgan stated. Piers caught COVID in July 2021. It took him 10 months to recover from SARS-CoV-2 which he contracted after attending the final of Euro 2020 between Italy and England. Piers started feeling symptoms two days after the match, which included a fever and body aches. And now, almost a year later he took to his Twitter to share an update on his remaining symptoms. He tweeted: "BREAKING: Just finished first Peloton session in 8 (Long COVID) months. Still got zero sense of smell, but taste returning fast, fatigue waves less frequent, brain fog gone."
Priscilla Loomis	1989	High Jumper (Olympian - United States)	(COVID 1/2021) A bad case of COVID-19 derailed her chances and she failed to qualify for the Olympics. She suffered chest pains and breathing difficulties and had to miss eight weeks of training. Her doctor even advised her to abandon her Olympic bid because of the potential long-term damage to her heart and lungs. But she kept going. “This was my final (chance),” she said. A full month after being diagnosed with COVID, she did not expect that she would find herself on an emergency room gurney with crippling chest pains.
Queen Elizabeth II	1952 (Passed Away at Age 96)	Royalty (Queen of England)	(COVID 2/2022) Queen Elizabeth II suffered from Long COVID. She stated her tussle with the virus had left her “very tired and exhausted.” The monarch contracted the virus in February and the palace has consistently sought to play down the extent of her illness, saying only that she had mild symptoms and a “croaky” voice. However it appears that the monarch perhaps suffered more than she first let on, telling National Health Service staff in a video call that “It does leave one very tired and exhausted, doesn’t it? This horrible pandemic. It’s not a nice result.”
Ralph Northam	1959	Politician (Governor of Virginia - United States)	(COVID 9/2020) Ralph Northam had a mild case in September 2020 that left him with long-lasting effects, including loss of smell and taste. More than a year after testing positive for COVID-19 Northam is warning about the long-lasting effects of COVID. After a mild case that felt like a sinus infection, Northam said in a video briefing that he was recovering quickly, and he waited for his sense of smell and taste to return. Instead, his symptoms gained force – when he drinks lemonade, it tastes like gasoline, and sometimes he smells smoke that isn’t there. Most of the time, though, he can’t smell or taste anything – including potential gas leaks when he restores vintage cars.
Rebecca Mehra	1994	Runner (Former College, Olympic Tiral Runner - United States)	(COVID 6/2022) She struggled with Long COVID symptoms and ultimately shut down her 2022 season after USATF Championships. She is still dealing with some Long COVID issues (headaches and high heart rate when exercising), but is remaining positive that this will subside given time. In the meantime she takes lots of breaks and days off and walking frequently. She still has bad days.
Reece Oxford	1998	Soccer (FC Augsburg)	Long COVID slowed his return to the pitch.
Resham	1968	Actor/Model (Lollywood, +)	(COVID ?) Ms. Resham pivoted her apology (for polluting a river) and tried to imply that she was “unintentionally” being forgetful. Geo TV quoted her as saying: “I have had Covid twice and its effects are still there. I forget things and don’t remember what I did four hours ago. This is why I did not realise what I was going to do and threw the bags in recklessness.”
Robert Gonzales	????	Politician (Mayor of Azusa, California - United States)	(COVID 2020) He’s still suffering from the effects of a fight with COVID-19 that nearly took his life one year ago. Gonzales spent a total of 33 days over two stints in the hospital. Both times, he was intubated. He was released Jan. 9, 2021. “I’m still struggling,” Gonzales said. “As a matter of fact, I just went to the doctor Wednesday. So my lungs are functioning at 50%.” “Still having mobility issues, soreness,” said Gonzales, who for a short time was in a walker upon his release from the hospital a year ago. “And that’s part of the long-haulers. You hear it my my voice still; it has not come back. My oxygen’s there, but my breathing is still kind of labored.” Gonzales, whose voice remains very raspy, said he still has fluid in his lungs. He said in February 2021 he contracted COVID-19-related Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), a severe infection of the lungs that led to his second intubation.
Rose George	1969	Journalist/Runner (Daily Telegraph, +)	(COVID 1/3/22) One of the mysteries of COVID is how it hits the fit. Ross ran 30 miles a week. She could turn up to a 20-mile fell race on inadequate training and run it, thoughtlessly. She did yoga, weight training, and cycling. She had a low resting heart rate and strong biceps. Then she fell ill with a sore throat, then flu-like weakness, a cough that hasn’t left her since, and a constant and persistent headache that is resistant to every painkiller. In the months since, she has days of feeling fine, and then not. Being a runner, she says that Long COVID feels like the wall at mile 18 in a marathon, when suddenly your energy has gone, and you feel like a different person and you don’t know why.
Rowland Manthorpe	2005	Jounalist (Wired)	(COVID 3/2021) "Don’t like putting personal things on Twitter, but I’ve just logged on after a while and found a load of DMs asking why I’ve disappeared, which is … a good question. If you haven’t seen me recently it’s because I’ve got a nasty case of Long COVID. Eight months and counting :(. My main symptoms are fatigue and brain fog. Medically I’m in perfect health – none of the tests show anything – but I have *much* less energy. If I push myself too hard then I just collapse. It’s like someone has reached inside and turned me off. It's scary. My health has improved since this all began in March. I don’t have to go to bed for days after checking my emails. But I still get tired very easily, even after relatively moderate activity – and I have a two-year-old, so keeping things moderate isn't straightforward." Rowalnd staed on Twitter/X.
Rudy Gobert	1992	Basketball (Utah Jazz)	(COVID 3/11/20) Became the first NBA player with a confirmed case of SARS-CoV-2. Lost sense of taste and smell, and smell hadn't returned as of 6/2020.
Ryquell Armstead	1996	Football (Jacksonville Jaguars)	(COVID 9/2020?) He was in the hospital twice and on the reserve/COVID-19 list twice for the 2020 season. Missed the remainder of the season. He decided to return the following season to leave ample time for recovery. Had Myocarditis. He played 2 games in 2021 and 0 in 2022.
Salma Hayek	1966	Actor (Grown Ups, Wild Wild West, +)	(COVID 5/2020) Salma Hayek reveals she had a life-threatening case of COVID-19—and still has symptoms. “My doctor begged me to go to the hospital because it was so bad,” Hayek stated. Although Hayek never checked into a hospital, she did need to receive supplemental oxygen at one point during her illness. She ended up needing to spend around seven weeks quarantining in one room of her home, away from her husband and their 13-year-old daughter. Hayek spent the majority of 2020 recovering from the virus, and that to this day, she has yet to return to her previous energy levels. The actor only returned to work in April 2021. Hayek gets fatigued even by Zoom meetings, she said. “I had started doing Zooms at one point, but I could only do so many because I would get so tired.”
Sam Reich	1984	Business + (CHMedia)	(COVID 3/2020) 10/26/22 - "My (SARS-CoV-2) symptoms were mild: body ache, diarrhea, low fever, and a little difficulty breathing. I was better within 10 days. I had no known preexisting conditions apart from mild asthma. My other symptoms evolved over the next 2 - 8 months: migraines, diverticulitis, chest pain, palpitations, high blood pressure, fibromyalgia, temperature fluctuations, food sensitivities, nausea, neuropathy, & hair loss. I've seen a cardiologist, gastroenterologist, neurologist, rheumatologist, allergist, endocrinologist, nutritionist, integrative medicine doctor, and functional medicine doctor. My symptoms have sent me to the ER 5 times.
Sarah Michelle Gellar	1997	Actor (Buffy The Vampire Slayer, +)	(COVID 6/2022) Sarah Michelle Gellar reveals 'tough' time recovering from COVID due to asthma. "To those out there that say 'it's just a cold' ...maybe for some lucky people it is. But for this (relatively) young fit person, who has struggled with asthma and lung issues her entire life, that is not my experience. Even with therapeutics and all my protocols it's been tough. I know I'm on the road to recovery, but it's certainly not been an easy road. I'll be back soon (hopefully with super antibodies...even if just for a bit)," Gellar continued. "To quote a friend of mine - 'I will wear a mask in my shower if that means I don't get this again.'"
Sophie Hillyerd	2003	Soccer (West Ham Women)	(COVID 9/2021) Dealing with POTS, a condition that has been linked with Long COVID patients. West Ham United goalkeeper Sophie Hillyerd says that the last 12 months have been like nothing she's ever experienced before. "When you're having a bad day, they think, 'Why is she struggling today?' People are going 'come on Soph, run,' and I'm thinking, 'I can't.' "They just won't know. They'll think, 'She's being lazy, she's unfit,' but no. I'm dealing with something that nobody else can see," see stated. "You know what it is, you have scans, and you know what to do to fix it. "With this, it was so different. It was unknown." "I'd heard of people struggling to return to play but there was nothing quite like how I felt with my heart going so fast. My heart rate got up to 224 [beats per minute], which is ridiculous." "I did a session all about crosses. That's quite low intensity," she explained. "I'd fallen on the floor and I stood back up and I just thought 'God, I'm going to faint, I'm going to fall back over.' "It was more than light-headedness. The dizziness -- I couldn't stand up without feeling faint. I knew that something wasn't right." "As I was sitting in bed at night, I'd just have this excruciating chest pain and there was no explanation for it. It was so hard not knowing what's wrong and it being such a horrible thing, something to do with your heart."
Selina Rutz-Büchel	1991	Runner (Olympian - Switzerland)	(COVID 4/2021) "Since April 2021, my health has been severely restricted by Long COVID (as of 11/2022)," wrote Selina Rutz-Büchel. "In the beginning the symptoms were severe, but fortunately I've already made great progress in the last year and a half." "I realized that my current state of health does not allow training and I therefore decided to retire from top-class sport."
Seth Curry	1990	Basketball (Philadelphia 76ers)	(COVID 1/2021) Curry was quarantined in his basement for 7 games. A couple of weeks later, he finally returned to the court. A slow start to his return was to be expected, but six games in so far, Curry doesn't look the same way he did before catching COVID. “It’s been tough,” Curry admitted on Tuesday following practice. “Some of the big remnants are also just trying to get my energy all the way back. Some days I feel good; some days, I’m just sluggish, and it’s like I got to take a nap all day, so it’s weird, but I’m grateful to be able to get up and get on the court every day and play.” “Listening to what Jayson [Tatum] was saying, it’s kind of similar,” said Curry when asked about how he feels months after battling COVID. “It’s hard to explain. You feel a little bit differently as a whole, and just the way I breathe at times, it's a little bit different. [I'm] a little more fatigued, but I’m pretty much healthy. [I'm] trying to be patient with myself. Hopefully, I get back to the way I was feeling before.
Steffi Kriegerstein	1992	Canoeist (Olympian - Germany)	(COVID 12/2020) Return to competitive sport is not possible. The canoe Olympic silver medalist in Rio de Janeiro, Steffi Kriegerstein, has ended her career due to the consequences of a corona infection. "Despite all my health problems, I tried to get fit again last year. But I noticed that this jump to return to competitive sports is huge." It has been shown that her body cannot cope with the stress. "That's why I pulled the ripcord." "My heart shrank again due to the corona disease," Kriegerstein said. “It was visible visually, but also in the heart-lung volume, that it wasn't working as it should."
Szilveszter Csollány	1970 (Passed Away at Age 51)	Gymnast (Former Olympian Hungary)	(COVID 11/2021) In November 2021, Csollány contracted SARS-CoV-2. According to his doctor, he was given the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine two weeks before he fell ill. Csollány had previously been critical of vaccination, but finally decided to get vaccinated because of a job abroad. He was hospitalised with COVID-19 in mid-November 2021, and put on a ventilator. His condition became more serious in late November and he was transported from Sopron in Western Hungary to a hospital in the Hungarian capital Budapest. He passed away on 1/24/22.
Tanysha Dissanayake	2001	Tennis	(COVID 2021) Had to retire from tennis at age of 21. Bedbound from Long Haul COVID. Last played summer of 2021. She tested positive for COVID-19 following three weeks of competing in Greece and has been unable to play since. Her last practice was in October 2021 and she has now announced her retirement. Has been unwell for more than a year.
Terry Bell	1951-1952	Singer	(COVID 11/2021) Nearly 18 months after getting COVID-19 and spending weeks in the hospital, Terry Bell struggles with hanging up his shirts and pants after doing the laundry. Lifting his clothes, raising his arms, arranging items in his closet leave Bell short of breath and often trigger severe fatigue. He walks with a cane, only short distances. He's 50 pounds lighter than when the virus struck.
Tilda Swinton	1960	Actor (Uncut Gems, Vanilla Sky, +)	(COVID 8/2021) Tilda is still in recovery (as of 1/7/22) from the symptoms that began last August, when she was unable to get out of bed for three weeks. “I was coughing like an old gentleman who smoked a pipe for 70 years, and had nasty vertigo,” the actor said. “I got off relatively lightly, but the worst thing is how it affected my brain.” That was no easy feat, particularly because Swinton chose not to take a step back from her career. “I did two films that I had to learn a lot of text for,” she recalled. The timing couldn’t have been worse for production. “[Anderson] likes you to speak like a speeding train,” Swinton said. “I’m normally quite quick at studying, and picking stuff up, but this was like chewing a really big piece of gum. I couldn’t remember my lines.” These days, Swinton is coping “more or less”; the actor is still having issues with her memory. “I have to work my brain,” she said.
Tim Kaine	1958	Politician (Virginia Senator - United States)	(COVID 3/2020) Tim Kaine has Long COVID, but that’s not moving Congress to act. He has nerve sensitivity that he fears may be permanent. After he was infected in March of 2020 — with strange symptoms he first thought were an allergic reaction — weeks with ongoing symptoms turned into months, then into years. He’s spent two years feeling “as if every nerve ending in my body has had five cups of coffee.” “I can feel every nerve ending right now as I’m talking to you,” he said. “It’s just kind of a tingling in my veins all the time.”
Tobias Harris	1992	Basketball (Philadelphia 76ers)	(COVID 11/2021) After missing six games because of health and safety protocols due to COVID, Harris suited up in eight of the Sixers’ next 10. The 29-year-old then sat out the Sixers’ Dec. 3 win over the Hawks with what the team classified as a “non-COVID illness.” However, based on Harris’ comments Wednesday night after a 101-96 Sixers loss to the Heat, COVID-19 was relevant in that absence. Harris was asked whether he’s experiencing after-effects of the virus. “Yeah, a little bit,” he said. “I still feel like every day I have a cold. Honestly, I think that’s just what it is right now when you’re playing the game and your body is taking on stress — stress from activity. But for me, it’s just keep fighting through and hopefully progress over time. Obviously it’s something that you don’t really know too much about as a whole.”
Todd McShay	1977	Football (NFL Analyst)	(COVID 4/2020?) ESPN’s NFL Insider analyst Todd McShay shared the details of being hospitalized with COVID-19 since he missed the 2020 NFL Draft and said he’s now “fully healthy.” McShay spoke with ESPN’s Adam Schefter for his podcast about the “really dark” times in the hospital, how he felt he let everyone down by missing the most important day of his work year and going 40 days without seeing his family. “It’s hard to explain the exhaustion level,” he said, via USA Today. “That would be the biggest takeaway in terms of what it did to me physically.”
Tom Dean	2000	Swimmer (Olympian - England)	(COVID 9/2020 & 1/2021) Tom Dean has battled COVID-19 not once, but twice. He told reporters that he had tested positive for the virus for the first time last September, but ultimately battled a more serious case of the virus that was diagnosed in January — just a few months ahead of the Olympic trials. He said that the second case was not life-threatening, but was serious enough to put his swimming career in jeopardy. Dean hadn't been sure that he could swim after his second diagnosis. "The Olympic gold was a million miles away," he said. Dean revealed his second COVID diagnosis after qualifying for the Tokyo Games in April, saying he was unable to exercise for weeks at a time while in quarantine.
Tomasz Marczynski	1984	Cycling (Poland)	(COVID 12/2020) 5/16/21 - Forced to withdraw from the Giro d'Italia as he continues to suffer with the after-effects of COVID-19. Still suffering from 'headache, insomnia, dizziness, and coordination problems' five months after diagnosis.
Tommy Sweeney	1995	Football (Buffalo Bills)	(COVID 10/2020) Tommy Sweeney of the Buffalo Bills was one of the first NFL players to develop a season-ending condition from COVID complications. He developed Myocarditis. Returned to football in 2021.
Toño Mauri	1964	Actor	(COVID 1/2020?) Received double lung transplant before Christmas after COVID-19 damage. When Mauri came to UF Health, he had been fighting the aftereffects of COVID-19 for five months. He needed mechanical ventilation, a tracheotomy, and even ECMO for 44 days.
Travez Moore	????	Football (Louisiana State University)	(COVID 2020) LSU linebacker went down 27 pounds after testing positive for COVID. “Bro coronavirus is real 👎🏿.. I was 256 now I’m 229 because I lost my appetite and it’s hard to eat plus you can barley [sic] breath. You can’t smell food you can’t taste food or taste any liquids.. stay y’all ass in the house,” Moore posted.
Vanessa Villela	1978	TV Personality	(COVID 8/2020) The TV personality from the hit Netflix show “Selling Sunset” suffers from Long COVID, and finding something she can eat is just one of her challenges. “A lot of foods that I smell or taste, they smell or taste like sewage or like rotten meat. Or like garbage,” Villela said. “So I get nauseous and then I cannot eat,” she continued. “I started showering one day, and then when I was washing my hair, I started to pull out a lot of hair and I’m like what?” Villela said. “It gets to a point when you are like when, I don't know when is it going to end?”
Vinesh Phogat	1994	Wrestler (Olympian - India)	(COVID 8/2020) Contracted COVID-19 in August 2020. “I was really shocked about how I caught it, because I never left the house,” Phogat said. “I was never in contact with anyone and I was staying at home and training.” “When I had Covid for that one month it ended everything I had been training for,” she said. “I had to restart my training from scratch.” Recovered in time for the olympics.
Wayne Kent Taylor	1955 (Passed Away at Age 65)	Business (Texas Roadhouse)	(COVID 11/2020) The founder and CEO of Texas Roadhouse caught COVID and never fully recovered. 4 months later he committed suicide. Wayne had improved some from his Long COVID, but got the COVID Vaccine and then got worse. The roaring tinnitus was specfically a problem for him. After coming down with a 'mild' case of COVID-19, W. Kent Taylor found himself tormented by tinnitus, a ringing in the ears. It persisted and grew so distracting that the founder and chief executive of the restaurant chain Texas Roadhouse Inc. had trouble reading or concentrating. Mr. Taylor told one friend he hadn’t been able to sleep more than two hours a night for months.
Will Toledo	1992	Singer/Guitarist (Car Seat Headrest)	(COVID ?) Wearing a mask onstage and trying his best to follow safety protocols wasn’t enough to keep Toledo safe. He came down with a particularly nasty version of Long COVID, which he eventually learned triggered a histamine imbalance, and had to cancel the rest of Car Sear Headrest’s 2022 tour, including a number of festival dates.
Yoán Moncada	1995	Basbeall (Chicago White Sox)	(COVID 9/2020) Moncada, one of the top prospects in baseball, finally had a breakout season in 2019 when he hit .315 with 25 home runs for Chicago. He tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 before starting the shortened season the next year and saw his numbers steeply decline. Moncada ended 2020, hitting .225 with six home runs. His OPS fell from .915 to .705. He detailed his experience with the virus: “Definitely my body hasn’t felt the same after the virus. I feel a lack of energy, strength, it’s just a weird feeling. It’s different.” “When I got to Chicago, before I tested positive, I was feeling strong and with energy. Now, it’s like a daily battle to try to find that strength, that energy to go through the day."
Zola Budd	1966	Runner	(COVID ?) Zola Budd struggled when she returned to training after her acute COVID, writing on social media: “Usually, after an easy run, it takes about one minute for my heart rate to go below 120bpm. Now, it takes almost four minutes. This shows me that even after three weeks of no symptoms, my heart is still under strain.”