‘I don’t recognise myself’: Nurse’s vaccine plea after recovering from Covid-19

A nurse has revealed the horrifying long-term effects she has suffered after catching Covid - leaving her life unrecognisable.

A Tasmanian nurse who contracted Covid-19 last year has detailed how drastically her life has changed since recovering from the virus.

Department of Public Health Secretary Kathrine Morgan-Wicks told reporters on Wednesday that the woman contacted her while in lockdown at the weekend.

The nurse’s email was read aloud at a press conference because she wanted to share her story to try encourage more people to protect themselves by getting vaccinated.

The woman aged in her 50s said she never had any health issues in the past, wasn’t on any medication and rarely used paracetamol.

But now, the nurse said she has a large list of issues including fatigues like “nothing she’d experienced before”, constant headaches that feel like head is “being crushed” and nerve pain that makes her skin feel like its “burning”.

A Tasmanian nurse has opened up about how her life has changed since contracting Covid-19. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Daniel Pockett

“When you’re tired, you have a good sleep and feel better but I never feel better,” her email read.

“The scariest issues I have is my diagnosed cognitive impairment. I have problems keeping up with everyday conversations and keeping up with my peers.

“Covid changed my life so much so that some days I don’t recognise myself.”

The nurse said there was no pleasure in anything she ate or drank because she also lost her sense of taste and smell.

“I understand some people are hesitant about vaccination and what they think it can do to their health. I had those same feelings,” her email said.

“But I had it and all I want is for people to seriously think about this because I wouldn’t want anyone to end up like me or feel the guilt for giving it to someone else.”

Ms Morgan-Wicks, who read the email aloud, also warned unvaccinated health workers they’ll be sacked if they aren’t jabbed by October 31. Picture: Richard Jupe

Ms Morgan-Wicks also warned unvaccinated health workers would lose their jobs if they had not received their mandatory vaccinations by the October 31 deadline.

She said payroll data showed about 87 per cent of the state‘s health workforce had complied.

As of Wednesday, 70 per cent of Tasmania’s eligible population had been fully vaccinated.

The island state is aiming for a 90 per cent vaccination rate before allowing travel from Covid hot spots, like NSW and Victoria.

Tasmania’s figure is now same as the national average.

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt also announced 70 per cent of all Australians aged 16 and over have been double jabbed and more than 85 per cent have had at least one dose.

Originally published as ‘I don’t recognise myself’: Nurse’s vaccine plea after recovering from Covid-19