Leslie Laursen had been careful. Since the pandemic hit, the retired mother and now grandmother had stayed at home, only venturing out every couple weeks to do grocery shopping in a mask and even with gloves at times. It was not until early June that she ventured out to a few medical appointments that had been postponed by prohibitions earlier in the states pandemic response this year. On June 18, she had been invited to an outdoor potluck with friends, which she was already leery about attending in the first place. She declined the invitation. Laursen had made an auspicious choice. That exact Thursday afternoon, her symptoms began. What followed was a five-week battle with COVID-19 that shook and tired Laursen to her core. When it comes to
of COVID-19, Laursen had nearly every single one, and
her illness persisted for more than just a week or two
. In fact, her illness lasted longer than even health authorities would consider her to be recovered. A person is considered recovered if they are 28 days past their onset of symptoms and not hospitalized. Laursen experienced a suite of symptoms that lingered for a little more than five weeks from mid-June to late
July, putting her in a category of many people around the country and world who do not just get over COVID-19 when they catch it but instead suffer from a long, persistent illness very unlike any type of virus or sickness theyve ever experienced.
have dubbed these cases of COVID-19 as long-haulers, and Laursen is not alone in her
experience of the virus. The Atlantics science writer Ed Yong interviewed several patients with similar symptoms to Laursen and long-haul cases of COVID-19 in June. In Laursens case, she isnt even counted in Spokane Countys positive case count numbers because she tested negative twice for the virus, although both medical providers she saw told her she had the virus. This is also not uncommon. First, symptoms of COVID-19 can appear from two to 14 days after a person has been exposed, which is part of what makes the virus so easy to spread, especially before a person is experiencing any symptoms. But then when a person is actually tested, timing might matter on whether a result comes back positive, guidance from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. A negative test result is a point-in-time test, and guidance on the CDCs website says, You might test negative if the sample was collected early in your infection and test positive later during your illness. Laursen was tested early in her illness both times, which is why doctors still believed she had COVID-19 and advised her to isolate herself at home. She never went to the hospital for her symptoms, although she did get chest X-rays when she started experiencing chest pain so bad she could not stand. Her lungs stayed clear throughout her illness, eliminating her need to seek emergency treatment, and while she was told to treat her symptoms at home, the virus was no flu bug. On June 18, Laursen was out in her garden, as she often is in the summer, when a wave of fatigue hit her seemingly out of the blue. She came inside and laid down to rest, but then a wave of joint pain and aches began to seize her body. It was like arthritis in every joint of my body, she said. Next came an ear-splitting headache. Her husband of 43 years came home and noticed she seemed ill. He brought her Tylenol, and Laursen went to bed at 7 or 8 p.m.
But her sleepless nights, interrupted by bone-rattling chills, fevers and sweats, were just beginning. Laursen recalled feeling nauseous, wanting to vomit,
but nothing coming up. Her fever was spiking at over 102 degrees, and she would sweat more profusely than she ever has. She recalled leaning over the toilet, and her sweat dripping off her face into the bowl below. After the fever spiked and began to drop, the chills would set in, which Laursen said was the worst part for her. You could feel them coming on, and you could feel them in your face and hands, and it would go into this full-
body internal shaking, and it was teeth-
rattling, she said. Her chills would last for a half hour before ceasing. She began to track her symptoms judiciously. She soon learned the viruss course. Every six hours,
a new bout of chills and rattling would seize her. Laursen called her health care provider and went to an urgent care center in n
orth Spokane to get tested, just a couple days after her first day of feeling fatigued. After listing
her symptoms, the nurse stared at her. She had ticked off nearly every symptom of the virus, save a loss of taste or smell. The test came back negative, but
that is not unusual, especially early in the virus
course. She also saw her doctor, who works in Post Falls, a few days later, who had her get tested. Laursen
tested negative, but her doctor agreed with the provider at the urgent care center: she had COVID-19 and needed to stay home and isolate. Laursen said
her first week, with the clockwork chills, reminded her of the movie
Inside Out, a Pixar film that depicts a girls emotions working inside her head. What would be her last episode of teeth-chattering chills came earlier than the six-hour mark and lasted for a grueling hour and a half. It was almost like I had this image in my mind of that COVID ball with the red things on it, and it was coming into my head in an elevator and busting into that room where all those little people are handling everything, and it busts in and says move over, she said. Laursen gets angry when people compare COVID-19 to the flu. She turns 70 at the end of August and said she has never experienced an illness like COVID-19 in her life. She also recognizes that the virus easily could have been the end for her. There were points during her fight with COVID-19 that she thought of expressing her dying wishes to her children. There were moments I was in tears, she recalled. I have three kids they are all grown, of course I was writing letters to my kids in my head and hoping I had time to actually write them and telling my husband, Please dont take me to the hospital; I dont want to go there. After about a week of intense chills, spiking fevers and nausea, Laursens symptoms changed. She began to cough, experiencing immense chest pain that doubled her over. She had her lungs X-rayed to ensure that the virus had not worked its way into them. She wouldnt need oxygen, according to the X-rays, but her cough and fatigue continued for weeks. Self-described by her family members as a pistol, Laursen was never a person who napped regularly. She did with COVID-19, though, and she often felt too tired to go out in her garden or do much of anything. On July 12, nearly a month since her symptoms had begun, Laursen said goodbye to her husband, who was leaving to play golf. He asked if she would be okay, and she said yes. Tired, she took a nap, intending it to last an hour. She woke up four and a half hours later, disoriented. Laursen recalled feeling foggy in her brain, unable to gather her thoughts. She managed to dial her daughter on the phone but began to cry hysterically. She suffered what felt like an anxiety attack, unable to gather her thoughts around her. Her daughter came to the house, with her mask on, to sit with her mother until her husband got home. That marked the last extreme disillusionment Laursen experienced in her fight with COVID-19. She still experienced extreme fatigue until July 24, when it finally seemed to leave altogether. So far, theres been no resurgence of symptoms, and she doesnt need to take Tylenol or other medications for her symptoms. Laursen recognizes that she is fortunate, not needing hospitalization for her symptoms, but even still, she said it is frustrating when others do not take the virus seriously. Im watching, listening and trying to do the right thing, Laursen said. But its frustrating to get looks about wearing masks. I get angry its a mask.
Leslie Laursen had been careful.
Since the pandemic hit, the retired grandmother had stayed at home in north Spokane, only venturing out every couple of weeks to go grocery shopping always wearing a mask, sometimes wearing gloves, too.
It was not until early June that she went to a few medical appointments that had been postponed by prohibitions earlier in the states pandemic response.
On June 18, Laursen was invited to an outdoor potluck with friends, but she was leery about attending and declined the invitation.
That turned out to be a good choice. That Thursday afternoon, her symptoms began.
What followed was a five-week battle with COVID-19 that shook and tired Laursen to her core.
Laursen developed nearly every known symptom of COVID-19 coughing, fevers, chills, headaches, nausea, chest pain and her illness lasted a remarkable period of time. Most people who people develop symptoms only have them for a week or two.
In fact, health authorities would typically consider someone like Laursen to be recovered from the illness. COVID-19 patients who are not hospitalized are considered recovered 28 days after their first symptoms appear.
Laursen experienced a suite of symptoms that lingered for a little more than five weeks, from mid-June to late July, putting her in a category of patients that some writers and scientists have dubbed the long-haulers.
These patients dont succumb to COVID-19 or quickly get over an infection. Instead, they suffer persistent, sometimes debilitating symptoms unlike any theyve experienced before.
Two medical providers diagnosed Laursen with COVID-19, but she isnt counted in Spokane Countys tally of cases because she twice tested negative for the coronavirus. Thats not unheard of.
Symptoms of COVID-19 can appear two to 14 days after a person has been infected, which is partly why the virus spreads so rapidly. The timing of the test matters, too: A person carrying the virus might give a false negative if theyre tested early in the course of the infection or before symptoms begin, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
You might test negative if the sample was collected early in your infection and test positive later during your illness, the CDC says.
Laursen was tested early in her illness both times, which is why doctors still believed she had COVID-19 and advised her to self-isolate at home. She was never admitted to the hospital for her symptoms, though she did get X-rays when she started experiencing chest pain so bad she could not stand.
Her lungs stayed clear throughout her illness, so there was no need for emergency treatment. While she was told to treat her symptoms at home, the virus was no flu bug.
On June 18, Laursen was tending her garden, as she often does in the summer, when a wave of fatigue hit her, seemingly out of the blue. She went inside and laid down to rest, but then her body was seized by sudden aches and joint pain.
It was like arthritis in every joint of my body, she said.
Next came an ear-splitting headache. Her husband of 43 years arrived home and noticed she seemed ill. He brought her Tylenol, and Laursen went to bed at 7 or 8 p.m. It was the first of many sleepless nights interrupted by bone-rattling chills, fevers and sweats.
Laursen recalls feeling nauseous and wanting to vomit, but nothing would come up. Her fevers spiked at more than 102 degrees, and she would sweat more profusely than she ever had before. She recalls leaning over the toilet with sweat dripping off her face into the bowl.
When the fevers broke, the chills would set in. For Laursen, that was the worst part.
You could feel them coming on, and you could feel them in your face and hands, she said. And it would go into this full-body internal shaking, and it was teeth-rattling.
Her chills would last a half-hour before ceasing. She began to studiously track her symptoms and soon learned the viruss course. Every six hours, like clockwork, a new bout of chills and rattling would seize her.
Laursen called her health care provider and went to an urgent care center in north Spokane to get tested, just a couple days after her first day of feeling fatigued. After listing her symptoms, the nurse stared at her. She had ticked off nearly every symptom of COVID-19, except a loss of taste or smell. Still, the test came back negative.
A few days later, Laursen saw her doctor in Post Falls, who had her tested again. She again tested negative, but her doctor agreed with the provider at the urgent care center: She had COVID-19 and needed to stay home and isolate.
Laursen gets angry when people compare COVID-19 to the flu. She will turn 70 at the end of August and said she has never experienced an illness like COVID-19 in her life. She also recognizes that the virus easily could have been the end for her. At times during her ordeal, she thought of expressing her dying wishes to her three adult children.
There were moments I was in tears, she recalled. I was writing letters to my kids in my head and hoping I had time to actually write them and telling my husband, Please dont take me to the hospital. I dont want to go there.
After about a week of intense chills, spiking fevers and nausea, Laursens symptoms changed. She began to cough, experiencing intense chest pain that doubled her over. She had her lungs X-rayed to ensure the virus had not worked its way into them. She wouldnt need an oxygen tank, but her cough and fatigue continued for weeks.
Described by her family members as a pistol, Laursen had never napped regularly. She did while she was sick, though, and often felt too tired to tend her garden or do much of anything.
On July 12, nearly a month after her symptoms began, Laursen said goodbye to her husband, who was leaving to play golf. He asked if she would be OK, and she said yes. Tired, she took a nap, intending it to last an hour. She woke up four and half hours later, disoriented.
Laursen recalls feeling foggy, unable to gather her thoughts. She managed to dial her daughters number on the phone but began to cry hysterically. She suffered what felt like an anxiety attack. Her daughter returned home, with her mask on, to sit with her mother until her husband got home.
That was the last time her symptoms were so severe. She continued experiencing extreme fatigue until July 24, when it finally seemed to leave altogether. So far, shes not experienced any resurgence of symptoms, and she no longer takes Tylenol or other medications.
Laursen recognizes she is fortunate because she never needed a long hospitalization.
She said its frustrating when others dont take the virus seriously.
Im watching, listening and trying to do the right thing, Laursen said. But its frustrating to get looks about wearing masks. I get angry its a mask.
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