As the third holiday season marked by the COVID-19 pandemic approaches, some educators with long COVID are feeling optimistic about getting better, while others are still struggling after months or even years.
Roughly 1 in 13 American adults has long-COVID symptoms that persisted for more than three months, according to a . Close to 1 in 5 school district leaders, principals, and teachers who answered an EdWeek Research Center survey this summer said they鈥檝e had long COVID, and more than half said they know at least one co-worker with long COVID.
澳门跑狗论坛 in April published a profile of nine educators dealing with long COVID. For this article, 澳门跑狗论坛 contacted all of those educators again, and all responded.
Five said their symptoms have dramatically improved since this spring, while the other four said they haven鈥檛 seen much improvement or are still suffering. Two have left full-time teaching for new jobs.
Some said their symptoms remain debilitating. And even as the federal government has assigned a national , , and preliminary evidence is emerging that , the psychic toll of the virus鈥� unknown effects looms large.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really forcing us to get more in tune with, 鈥榃hat is the new baseline for me? Is this gonna be my forever?鈥欌�� said Amanda McGhee, an educator who has had long COVID since December 2020.
The collection of chronic illnesses known as long COVID include breathing troubles, loss of taste and smell, excessive fatigue, brain fog, and heart damage. All of these symptoms last for a minimum of three months, but many people have reported little relief after two years. No two cases look alike, and doctors are often reluctant to provide a definitive diagnosis.
Kaide Dodson, the principal of the Roosevelt Learning Center in Rock Springs, Wyo.鈥攚hich serves students with behavioral challenges鈥攕aid she鈥檚 been grateful for the school community of long-COVID sufferers that has formed in her area, and for her husband鈥檚 emotional support.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 imagine if I didn鈥檛 have that,鈥� Dodson said. 鈥淧eople within their own home, if they don鈥檛 have a support network, that would make it 100 times harder.鈥�
As COVID symptoms ease, a new job opportunity arises
Some educators with long COVID are feeling much better, offering hope to those who fear the disease鈥檚 effects are irreversible.
Joelle Melling, who had taught elementary art in Independence, Mo., has experienced slightly more severe asthma than before she had long COVID. But her more-extreme long-COVID symptoms, like extreme sensitivity to noise and inability to stand for a long period of time, have dissipated.
This June, she took a job at the National Museum of Toys and Miniatures in Kansas City, Mo., helping classroom teachers develop curriculum materials tied to toy collections. She鈥檚 also working part-time towards a master鈥檚 degree in counseling, and preparing for a career pivot to art therapy for families.
鈥淚 am so thankful to be alive and to be free to pursue my passion,鈥� Melling said.
A more flexible job brought relief
Kathleen Law, an elementary school teacher from Oregon, also left the classroom after dealing with long COVID since August 2021.
During a leave of absence this summer, Law ended up getting an appealing job offer, from a company that trains teachers on the science of reading. She had done freelance work for the company since 2016, and a job with them that she could do from her home suited her well.
鈥淚 feel like I have a better work-life balance, working remote. I鈥檓 more involved with my kiddos. It鈥檚 been wonderful,鈥� Law said.
She does regret losing out on the retirement money she could have gotten by finishing her career in teaching.
Her long-COVID symptoms aren鈥檛 entirely gone, either. She still has to monitor her heart rate and manage her energy throughout the day to avoid burning out.
鈥淚f I were to go back full-time, I will probably fall back into where I was,鈥� Law said. 鈥淥r at least, that鈥檚 my fear.鈥�
A new, undesirable normal
For others, long COVID is showing signs of improvement but remains an obstacle to feeling healthy and normal.
Larry Geist, the superintendent of the Centre school district in Lost Springs, Kan., has more stamina now than he did during the peak of long COVID, which he鈥檚 had since early 2021. But he still gets tired more quickly than he used to.
When his family attends sports games together, they fret over whether Geist will be able to walk to and from their seats.
鈥淢y son-in-law will go get the car so I don鈥檛 have to walk as far, which irritates me,鈥� Geist said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e doing it because they care.鈥�
Back at work in Idaho
Ruthanne Grajeda, a paraprofessional in Wyoming, back on track in part thanks to several visits for weeks at a time to Idaho, where her mother lives. She was able to shed the oxygen tank she used to carry around everywhere after being hospitalized for COVID and experiencing symptoms months later.
She also got back to working full time, which she loves.
鈥淭hat was really nice to be welcomed back by my work family,鈥� she said.
She still worries about how devastating it would be to get COVID again and potentially land back in the hospital.
And she still periodically feels pain in her feet and hands that鈥檚 difficult to explain.
鈥淢y doctor鈥檚 like, 鈥楴o, that鈥檚 not from that.鈥� I鈥檓 like, 鈥楿m, yeah it is,鈥欌�� Grajeda said.
A heart shows signs of healing
Kaide Dodson thought earlier this year that she might need heart surgery because of complications that doctors said were caused by her experience with long COVID. More recently, her heart has shown signs of healing, and surgery likely won鈥檛 be necessary.
But she鈥檚 been more susceptible to other illnesses than ever before鈥攐n top of getting COVID this fall for the fifth time, she鈥檚 dealt with colds, the flu, and even shingles.
She鈥檚 kept her job through all these complications. But other parts of her life have suffered.
鈥淢y life is to make it through work. I don鈥檛 want to say I鈥檓 a shitty mom, but I definitely don鈥檛 cook as many meals as I used to,鈥� Dodson said. 鈥淗ouse chores, that鈥檚 my whole weekend.鈥�
Respiratory viruses pose new threats
The surge in respiratory viruses has also made life harder for Alisha Walker, a teacher from Alabama. She just recently recovered from the flu, and worries about catching something else soon.
Unlike earlier in the pandemic, if she contracts COVID again, she鈥檒l have to drain her regular sick leave, per district policy. Some districts, like and , still offer extra time off for employees who contract COVID, but many have backed away from those more generous policies.
鈥淒on鈥檛 isolate the people who still have anxiety about it or have been through a lot with COVID,鈥� Walker said. 鈥淭hey may need a little bit more time to come back around to normal living.鈥�
Painful symptoms with no end in sight
Normalcy means something different to everyone. Some educators with long COVID worry they鈥檒l never get their version of normal back.
Amanda McGhee, director of curriculum and instruction for the Warren County Career Center, which serves students at six homeschools in Ohio, earlier this month marked the two-year anniversary of the last day she could smell and taste.
She feels guilty now when friends bring over meals and she can only appreciate the texture of the food. 鈥淵ou just realize how much you miss the craft of a well-prepared meal and the things that come with that,鈥� she said.
Working with relentless fatigue
Angela Jackson, director of operations for the Piedmont Classical High School in Browns Summit, N.C., recently got so fed up with the relentless fatigue that has been plaguing her for months that she made an appointment with her primary care doctor.
鈥淚鈥檝e mentioned it to her before and she really hasn鈥檛 made any kind of referral,鈥� Jackson said. 鈥淭his time, it鈥檚 like, 鈥業 need you to send me to somebody. I can鈥檛 keep doing this.鈥欌��
She works remotely once in a while, but her colleagues prefer her to work in person, an hour鈥檚 drive away from home. This summer, she was scheduled to make headway on her dissertation, but instead she just rested.
鈥淚鈥檓 hard on myself because it鈥檚 kind of the nature of the job鈥� to feel tired, she said.
People within their own home, if they don鈥檛 have a support network, that would make it 100 times harder.
Her family鈥檚 situation weighs on her, too. Her dad died of complications from COVID right around the time she started experiencing long COVID symptoms. At first, she couldn鈥檛 tell if her fatigue was from grief or the virus.
Now, her sister has long COVID as well, even worse than her.
Still, Angela Jackson goes to work nearly every day, toiling away at her school鈥檚 complex finances, including a bond issue that passed last year and requires constant monitoring.
鈥淓arly on in the pandemic, people were praising teachers and nurses and doctors. Now everybody鈥檚 sick of us and feels like we鈥檙e whining,鈥� Jackson said. 鈥淲e all gave more. It wasn鈥檛 enough.鈥�
Slow progress for Connecticut educator
Stories like these are resonating nationwide.
Julia, an elementary interventionist, is one of several educators who contacted 澳门跑狗论坛 after the April story published. Julia requested that her last name not be printed in order to protect her anonymity.
There were some very scary days鈥攎onths, even鈥攚here I was so sick, I couldn鈥檛 leave a couch and I couldn鈥檛 even leave my bed.
She, her husband, and her two kids all contracted COVID in December 2020. For three weeks, she couldn鈥檛 taste or smell; and she endured vertigo, headaches, sore muscles, shortness of breath, nausea, and a diminished appetite.
She tried to go back to work in January 2021 but collapsed on the job. Then she spent a few weeks teaching from her bedroom, in agony.
鈥淚 would turn off my video and cry in pain,鈥� she said.
The shortness of breath and intense chest pain wouldn鈥檛 go away. After her district鈥檚 mid-February break, she gritted her teeth and took medical leave.
鈥淭here were some very scary days鈥攎onths, even鈥攚here I was so sick, I couldn鈥檛 leave a couch and I couldn鈥檛 even leave my bed,鈥� Julia said. 鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 shower for over a week. It was just too much.鈥�
One month off for Julia turned into the rest of the school year. She returned to work in the fall of 2021.
Two years later, Julia still deals with constant chest pain, though her symptoms have improved, with the help of medicines, herbs, and supplements, and even home remedies like coconut water and the energy drink Tailwind.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know if anything I鈥檓 doing is helping or if it鈥檚 just that it鈥檚 time,鈥� she said.
