When Edith Schwitter, 52, developed a fever in December 2020 and suffered from muscle and headaches following a flu vaccination, the experienced nurse first thought she was having a reaction to the vaccination and continued her work.
Her first two COVID tests were negative, so she wanted to fill in for a shift over the weekend because nursing staff were scarce. After a third test, this time positive, severe head, muscle and limb pain emerged, which had to be treated with painkillers. Edith Schwitter was exhausted and had difficulty breathing and concentrating.
“In retrospect, I should have insisted and gone straight to the hospital when I was feeling ill.”
“You feel helpless when your doctor tells you he doesn’t want to see you and you should stay at home as long as it’s not too bad,” recalls Edith Schwitter. “In retrospect, I should have insisted and gone straight to the hospital when I was feeling ill.”
Inflammation spreads
Although Edith Schwitter’s symptoms were initially not as bad as her partner’s, the inflammation spread unhindered in her body. She was first diagnosed with pneumonia on both sides. This was followed by sinusitis (inflammation of the frontal and maxillary sinus). The inhalation of asthma agents then led to a fungal infection in the throat and mouth area (thrush). This was followed by an inflammation of the oral mucosa in the entire throat area.
Sudden pain in her left flank and a fever of 40 degrees forced Edith Schwitter to go to the hospital. A severe infection in the bladder and renal pelvis was treated with antibiotics. However, the infection did not respond to the treatment, and as the inflammatory levels continued to rise and she lost a lot of blood, the doctors became anxious on the third day. Edith Schwitter had blood poisoning.
Great luck
“It wasn’t until I was in hospital that I realized how lucky I was. I barely made it after the severe blood poisoning with the bacterium E. coli infected my entire system,” says the nurse. Fortunately, the bacteria could be combated with a stronger antibiotic. After two weeks, Edith Schwitter was released from hospital.
“My immune system has gone haywire. Something’s stuck everywhere. If one thing gets better, then something new follows.”
During a Long COVID consultation, she was told that her immune system is no longer functioning properly. She was on sick leave until the end of May for chronic exhaustion (fatigue). She does not yet know whether she will be able to return to work at that time. Edith Schwitter advises those affected to attend a Long COVID consultation as soon as possible. “All the previous discussions and explanations took a lot of energy and didn’t help me any further.” Even if certain readings are unremarkable, this does not necessarily mean that those affected are actually healthy.
Especially important: pacing
During her consultation, the doctor who specializes in chronic fatigue listened to her correctly – and he brought Edith Schwitter back to reality. He told her that Long COVID sufferers won’t recover in a few weeks. During the months that followed, she realized that any excessive strain only made everything worse. Pacing was the order of the day, i.e. managing energy reserves and not overloading yourself.
“I know that those affected aren’t making things up and there’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
“My immune system has gone haywire. Something’s stuck everywhere. If one thing gets better, then something new follows. The muscle pain is so severe that you can’t avoid it,” says Edith Schwitter. “As a specialist, it’s doubly bad to notice that even months later you’re still so sick that you have to stay at home. I know that those affected aren’t making things up and there’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
