The Long Haul: Life with Long COVID & Chronic Fatigue with Lexi Boreham

The Happier Life Project

Long COVID, refers to a range of symptoms that persist for weeks or months after the acute phase of a COVID-19 infection has been resolved. At least 2 million people in England and Scotland say they are experiencing long COVID, with many reporting their symptoms have lasted two years or longer.

The figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) cover the period from November 2023 to March 2024 and further breakdown that among those who reported having long COVID, approximately 1.5 million people - about three-quarters - felt their daily activities were impacted, while 381,000 people - about a fifth - said their ability to perform these activities was "severely limited."

One significant aspect of long COVID is its impact on mental health, contributing to a range of psychological and cognitive symptoms. Many individuals with long COVID report experiencing anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Insomnia, brain fog, memory problems and confusion are also extremely common. Studies have shown that these symptoms can be as debilitating as the physical symptoms of long COVID which include; chronic fatigue, frequent or severe headaches, persistent aches and pains in joints and muscles, shortness of breath, fever, nausea, digestive and bladder issues, skin rashes and heart palpitations.

Addressing these issues requires a multifaceted approach, including medical treatment, mental health support, and lifestyle modifications. Continued research and awareness are critical in managing and mitigating the mental health effects of long COVID. As is supporting our friends, colleagues and loved ones who are going through it.

Lexi Boreham was a fit, healthy and active lawyer who in September 2022, at 29 years old, was struck down with long COVID. Lexi started sharing her recovery journey publicly on Instagram in May 2023, to create a safe space for those with long COVID to find comfort and community, and to raise awareness of the illness. Lexi openly vocalises the ups and downs of life with long COVID, including feelings of loneliness, frustration and sadness, but also the brief moments of hope and joy.

Talking to host Gabby, Lexi speaks candidly about what life has been like since becoming afflicted with long COVID. Lexi shares her own struggles with debilitating fatigue, how her mental health has been affected, and explains about the spectrum of the condition.

Lexi also talks about how her battle with long COVID has affected her family and loved ones, whilst offering advice on how we might show our support to anyone facing the challenges of long COVID. Lexi highlights what the most current research is providing and vocalises her frustrations with the flippant comments Rishi Sunak made, about those struggling to work due to chronic health conditions. Lexi also offers some words of hope and encouragement to anyone experiencing long COVID, whilst sharing what tools and resources she has found to be helpful in managing her own symptoms.

To download the My Possible Self App: https://mypossibleself.app.link/podcast
To follow My Possible Self on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mypossibleself
To follow Lexi on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/positively_fatigued
To follow Lexi on TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@positively_fatigued

To download the UCL resources pdf on long COVID referred to in the interview: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/covid-19-longitudinal-health-wellbeing/sites/covid_19_longitudinal_health_wellbeing/files/a-guide-to-long-covid-and-mental-health.pdf