‘Living death’: Aussie journalist Tracey Spicer’s long Covid hell

It has been more than three months since this veteran TV anchor caught Covid-19. Her hellish experience is still an everyday reality despite being triple-vaxxed.

Australian journalist Tracey Spicer says living with long Covid is “a little like a living death”.

The 54-year-old triple-jabbed broadcaster and author caught the virus in January on a holiday to the Gold Coast.

Covid left her bedridden for two weeks, but the suffering and pain didn’t end there.

“After getting out of bed and trying to resume normal activities, I developed a bad case of post-Covid cystitis for a fortnight but I was still able to walk the dog for an hour without feeling breathless,” she told The Courier Mail.

“It was around four weeks after initially contracting it that I started to really go downhill.”

She explained a delayed diagnosis of post-viral pericarditis (swelling of the tissue around the heart) was taking its toll.

Tracey Spicer was triple vaccinated against Covid. Picture: Instagram

She now suffers from long Covid and wants more awareness and education about it in Australia. Picture: Rohan Thomson

Spicer, who last year would exercise for one to two hours a day, finds she can now only exercise at about 10 per cent of her usual rate.

“There are no more walks with friends. Instead, we catch up by having a quiet coffee or a bite to eat, or a quick chat on the phone,” she said.

“I know it sounds odd, but socialising can be exhausting – things really have changed.

“The family has been wonderful, taking care of me and doing all of the household chores. We usually split it up between us, but I can’t manage to do anything at the moment.”

Spicer wants other people going through it to know they’re “not going crazy” and to listen to their bodies.

Spicer even had chest pains that landed her in hospital, out of fear she was having a heart attack. She warns others with similar symptoms to go straight to the emergency department.

Spicer (second from left) has gone from training for a four-day mountain trek to being unable to do household chores. Picture: Julian Andrews

Most people who have Covid recover completely within a few weeks.

But some people — even those who had mild versions of the disease — continue to experience symptoms after their initial recovery.

According to the Mayo Clinic, older people and people with many serious medical conditions are the most likely to experience lingering Covid symptoms, but even young, otherwise healthy people can feel unwell for weeks to months after infection.

Common signs and symptoms that linger over time include: Fatigue, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, a cough, joint pain, chest pain, and memory, concentration or sleep problems.

The federal government says many long-term side effects from Covid are still not known.

“This is why it is important that you do everything you can to protect yourself against being infected with the Covid-19 virus,” it said. “Vaccination is the best way to reduce the risks of Covid-19.

“When many people get vaccinated against Covid-19, it lowers the risk of the virus spreading in the community. This leads to fewer people getting infected by Covid-19, which reduces the number of people who experience long Covid.”

Originally published as ‘Living death’: Aussie journalist Tracey Spicer’s long Covid hell