Tobago man: Vaccination saved me from long covid

A Tobago man has laid bare the extreme physical discomfort he experienced since contracting covid19 in April.

But he said that changed when he and his wife received the first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine last week at the Magdalena Grand Beach & Golf Resort, Lowlands.

Now, Richard Mc Farlane is on a personal mission to encourage fellow Tobagonians to get vaccinated to protect not only their lives but those of their families and friends.

At the THA Division of Health, Wellness and Family Development’s virtual health briefing on Thursday, Mc Farlane said after taking the vaccine, he now has a new lease on life.

“I am sitting here before you because I am not one of the 62 Tobagonians who would have lost their lives as a result of covid19 infection. But I did not come through it unscathed,” he said, adding he had suffered long covid.

Long covid is the term used to describe patients who suffer symptoms of the virus for weeks or months after the initial infection.

The rate of recovery for covid19 patients depends on age and overall health.

Mc Farlane, 61, said although he did not die, “My experience after I would have gotten past my initial covid19 infection has been extremely painful and difficult.”

It was hard even to do everyday tasks.

“My family had to look on as I struggled with normal day-to-day activity.”

Mc Farlane said some days he could not even get out of bed.

“I spent quite a bit of my life reading and writing. I am a voracious reader and I write extensively.

"But I have not been able to read and write without much difficulty, simply because of the thing called brain fog, one of the experiences of people who go through long covid19.”

He said using information he researched from Mt Sinai Hospital, New York, one of the leading facilities for treating long covid, he was able to use some strategies to improve his condition.

“But the most critical piece of information I received was that for most persons who experience long covid19, the symptoms begin to reduce after being vaccinated.”

Mc Farlane said he is living proof.

“I was vaccinated last week Monday and I have had the very best ten days going back the last four months. The symptoms are significantly reduced.”

He said he is also able to properly maintain his family’s property.

“I generally feel more energised and my health has been significantly improved.”

Mc Farlane said some of his friends were not as fortunate.

“I have friends who have contracted covid19 and within the last ten-12 weeks, we would have had to bury several of them.

"The one common thing among all those who we have had to bury is that none of them as yet had the opportunity to be vaccinated.”

He said the pain of losing a loved one to covid19 is unbearable.

“Daily, I speak with them and I see the pain, the difficulty, the grief that they struggle with, especially because no one in their families saw this coming. No one expected it. No one planned for it nor prepared for it.”

Mc Farlane said he took his 17-year-old daughter and 16-year-old grandson to be vaccinated at the Pentecostal Light and Life Foundation last week.

“The one way for me to safeguard the welfare and the lives of my loved ones is to ensure that they are protected, and I don’t know of any other way to protect them other than to ensure that they are vaccinated.”

Mc Farlane said his 93-year-old mother and all of his nine siblings, ranging in age from 55 to 74, have been vaccinated.

“Each and every one of us are now living in a state of increased comfort, knowing that we are somewhat protected.”