SALT LAKE CITY — After three long years, the Utah Department of Health and Human Services is ready for the COVID-19 pandemic to come to an end, state epidemiologist Dr. Leisha Nolen says.
“I think we're all really hopeful," she said. "I think most of us in public health are happy to return to all the other problems that we know we were ignoring for two, if not three, years.”
Utah's first COVID-19 case was discovered on Feb. 28, 2020, and the first COVID-related death was recorded on March 22.
“It was something that as somebody trained in public health and in medicine, I was concerned about. Hearing these reports, and trying to understand what was true data and what was rumor was always difficult," said Dr. Nolen.
However, there are Utahns still suffering from COVID’s effects months after recovering from the virus.
After months of pain, swelling and emergency room visits, Holly Olson realized she had "long-COVID."
“They ran all these tests," she said. "They thought I had leukemia. I mean, just every possible disease out there. It's not fun. I will be honest, this is not the way to live. I’m doing my best.”
Thousands of Utahns now belong to an online community of COVID-19 long-haulers.
“It would feel like my skin was burning, like, in my arms or legs," said Lisa O'Brien. "I also had issues with G.I. I lost my appetite. I couldn't eat things, shortness of breath, and by, like, month four, I was pretty much bed-bound."
O’Brien created the group and wants to raise more awareness around the strange symptoms of long-COVID.
“A lot of times, they don't show up for, like, two or three months after your infection," she said. "People don't really know how to tie them to COVID.”
These survivors are hoping the state and the country will dedicate more resources and funding toward long-COVID.
“We've all been injured by COVID, which that's the common denominator, right? And so we're all suffering," said Olson. "We're all hurting. We all need to come together, get the resources and help us to get better so we can live a healthy, normal life.”
The Department of Health and Human Services will be launching a long-COVID awareness campaign in the coming months.