When Lindiwe Mhlongo, a South African mother of three, tested positive for COVID-19, she hoped for a speedy recovery. But a month after testing negative, she still wasn’t feeling well.
"When I tried to sleep … I couldn't breathe,” she said. “When I had to do chores at home, I couldn't do everything and even if I did, I would do small tasks and then head back to bed.”
Mhlongo is not alone. Research from South Africa shows that nearly half the individuals that were hospitalized with COVID-19 and about one in five of those that were not hospitalized have symptoms of long COVID six months after recovery.
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About the author
Paul Adepojupauladepoju
Paul Adepoju is a Nigeria-based Devex Contributing Reporter, academic, and author. He covers health and tech in Africa for leading local and international media outlets including CNN, Quartz, and The Guardian. He's also the founder of healthnews.africa. He is completing a doctorate in cell biology and genetics and holds several reporting awards in health and tech.
