With the first case of COVID-19 being announced in January of 2020, the long-term symptoms of the virus remain relatively unknown.
Vincent Li is a Martial Arts Instructor and Personal Trainer in the Lower Mainland, he was diagnosed with the virus on March 23rd at 26 years old.
At the time, Northern Health had only 9 cases while BC’s total case count was creeping past 600.
Li’s doctor explained to him that his COVID had spiralled into pnemonia and he had to be intubated immediately, he remained in the hospital for a month and was unconscious for weeks.
He says he says he only completely recovered about 2 weeks ago and has been dealing with a variety of symptoms since becoming one of the first people diagnosed in the province.
“It has been a lot more difficult than I thought it, I assumed it was going to be like the flu or a cold and I would be up and back at it after a few weeks,” Li explained, “but unfortunately after being in bed for so long I’ve been dealing with muscle atrophy, nerve damage and lung issues.”
As an avid Boxer and Jiu-Jitsu competitor, Li says he was in pretty good physical shape before contracting COVID-19 and he was surprised by how long his healing process has been.
Li described the nerve damage as nothing serious, as both his legs are still working, but he just can’t feel it in some spots.
“It’s hard because with the lung issues, I’ve often had to stop and take more breaks and even take days off and some people assume I’m just being weak but that isn’t the case, I’m actually just dealing with the symptoms,” he stated.
While he attributes the muscle atrophy and nerve damage in his left leg to being bed-bound for so long, he’s hopeful that his lungs heal fully soon.
“Now I feel like I don’t have to take naps as often anymore, I can go about my day and go for runs, I don’t feel as restricted in my body as I did for the past year,” he added.
As a COVID-19 survivor, Li is urging people to be smart about the provincial restrictions but is also reminding residents to find ways to remain active while adhering to protocols.
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