It starts with heartburn. It’s funny when you spoon a plain yogurt and feel like it comes out the wrong way. The slight grumbling in my stomach is also a little annoying.
Paul* is annoyed, he almost never has heartburn, he classifies it as a symptom of stress. And make an appointment with an ear, nose and throat doctor (ENT). He wants to know more precisely. The next day he knows it, his general condition worsens significantly.
Paul does a corona test
Shortness of breath, constant tiredness, it can’t just be heartburn. Paul does a corona test. Old tests are no longer in the house, new ones are needed. Curiosity prevails, even if some friends and acquaintances say: “Are you doing another corona test? Nobody does that anymore!” That’s right, there are fewer and fewer people who are still testing themselves. One in six respiratory illnesses is now caused by Covid. The Oktoberfest is no longer running, so there will soon be a few more noses.
The test shows two lines – hits. But what does heartburn have to do with it? Three years ago, Paul had Corona once, when his systems were like a moderate cold and his lymph nodes were slightly swollen. He has also been vaccinated three times, Paul feels safe.
Already passed 50
Now Corona positive again. Strange. He has no idea where he could have become infected, so he googles heartburn and finds it. This is now one of the Covid symptoms. On the one hand reassured, on the other hand annoyed by the reflux, he checks out what else Corona has in store for him. Some.
He’s not worried, even though he’s already over 50. But he doesn’t belong to the risk group. He knows a few people in his circle of friends who “got it right” this time. Lying in bed for days with flu symptoms doesn’t sound like fun. Let’s see how he’s doing.
Worse, especially at night. At the weekend, two fresh T-shirts lie next to the bed, chills and sweats characterize the supposed night’s sleep. Paul hasn’t felt this bad in a long time, he says: “In the evening I fell asleep because of exhaustion and then woke up again in the middle of the night. Nothing worked without ibuprofen, but sleeping again was out of the question.” It’s good that the doctor’s appointment was on Tuesday. Or so he thought.
Corona patients are not allowed to go to consultation hours
The phone rings on Monday. The receptionist asks how he is and whether Paul is coming tomorrow, Tuesday. “Yes, of course, I’m not feeling well, I’m glad I have the appointment.” “Is there anything new?” asks the lady on the phone. “Yes, I’m Corona-positive right now.” “One moment,” comes the phone and a minute later: “Then unfortunately we can’t treat you. Call us if you get negative again.”
I’m sure a colleague will scoff: “I told you, the Corona test is nonsense. The honest one is the stupid one.” Formally he’s right, but that’s a matter of attitude. The receptionist advises calling 116 117 or going to your family doctor Great, the problem has been relocated. Paul solves it with a video consultation at the TeleClinic. The doctor is quick and competent and writes him off for three days.
Positive for six days
At least he’s slowly feeling better, especially the nights are getting quieter. A few days ago he also made up for his visit to the ENT. “Everything in the lymph area is a little swollen, but at least there is no bacterial infection,” the doctor reassures. He compares Corona to the Eppstein-Barr virus, and that’s not something to be trifled with either. “The aspects of Long Covid in particular should not be underestimated,” he warns and prescribes Paul a medication containing cortisone.
The heartburn doesn’t surprise him either. “Covid travels throughout the body and the stomach and intestines are very sensitive. When my children feel unwell, my first question is always how their stomach is doing.” And Paul learned something else from the expert: “Did you know that there is also a long flu?” asked the doctor. Paul had never heard of this before. “But it rarely happens.”
Paul was lucky
With the involuntary booster, Paul involuntarily received the immunization for this winter. However, for 2025 he is considering having the double vaccination against flu and corona. Because he has already heard of some cases in which the corona infection did not turn out so well. He doesn’t want to spread panic, but he does want to advise people to be vigilant. In particular, no one needs the Long Covid variant, which is associated with “brain fog” symptoms (i.e. difficulty concentrating). “But ultimately everyone has to know what they are doing,” Paul summarizes. “Anyway, I haven’t felt this bad in a long time.”
*Paul’s real name is known to the editors. Recorded by Volker Tietz
