With a staggering number of new cases, Malaysia has been struggling to control a resurgent third wave of the pandemic which is still chalking up more than 20,000 new cases a day in the last few weeks.

YB Kamache Doray Rajoo, who is known as a Malaysian state legislator, has numerous obligations and a rigorous work schedule, delivering political speeches and assisting her people in Pahang. However, after being exposed to COVID-19 in January, the 51-year-old has been forced to slow down due to “Long-Haul” syndrome.

Image Credit: Kamache Doray Rajoo Facebook Page

What is long-haul COVID-19?

Long-haul COVID-19 is a phrase that describes the long-term symptoms that patients may have after recovering from the infection. COVID-19 symptoms can last for weeks or months and those people are known as “Long Haulers.”

It may damage many organs of those individuals of diverse ages, including children. The symptoms can linger for more than a year, causing problems for future chronic COVID-19 infection treatment.

According to The Straits Times, she gets very fatigued and is unable to move rapidly or for long distances owing to her respiratory issues. She was once able to deliver speeches at political rallies, but now she can’t utter more than two or three phrases since she frequently gets wheezing every day.

Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, the ministry’s director-general of health, stated that a clinical study undertaken by the ministry indicated that more than half of 1,004 category 4 and 5 COVID-19 patients who required oxygen or intubation will experience long COVID symptoms.

“This syndrome occurs when a former COVID-19 patient continues to exhibit signs and symptoms for up to 12 weeks or more, and those symptoms are not explained by any other diagnosis. This disease is caused by a complication of COVID-19 infection that affects the function of numerous organs in the body, ” said Dr. Noor Hisham.

According to Associate Professor Malina Osman, an epidemiologist and biostatistician at Universiti Putra Malaysia, the most common symptoms include fatigue, dyspnea or shortness of breath, joint pain, and chest pain, as well as psychological distress such as post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, concentration, and sleep abnormalities.

In the midst of the ongoing pandemic, Madam Kamache stated that she is slowly recovering and has resumed all of her duties, including giving out food bags to her constituents.

While the stubborn virus is still lingering in our vicinity, it’s important for you to look after yourself and others around you. Consider the risks before going out and make sensible decisions to keep yourself, your family, and our Malaysia safe. Risk is lower when you have limited contact with people outside or a small and consistent social circle.

Remember guys, the symptoms would not entirely disappear even after the pandemic ends!