Physical and Mental Health After a COVID-19 Diagnosis

I was diagnosed with COVID-19 just over a week ago. Battling with the symptoms has tested my physical strength and my emotional fortitude. Because of the illness itself and its implications, I've had to focus on balancing my physical and mental health after a COVID diagnosis. 

Physical Health After a COVID-19 Diagnosis

I woke up feverish and with aching muscles the Saturday before last. I was instantly paranoid that it was COVID-19, especially considering the rising infection rates in Peru, where I live. Particularly with the constant media coverage of the virus, I have been anxious about contracting it several times before. However, a rapid test confirmed the diagnosis this time.

It has been a period of adjustment where I have had to allow my body the rest it needs to recover. This has been challenging because I still need to work and make money, but I try to sleep more and spend long periods in bed during the day. I struggled with strong fatigue for the first few days, making it difficult to concentrate or accomplish any tasks. 

Above all, it has meant cutting myself some slack. I am an overachiever at heart and like to do everything to the best of my ability, but COVID has slowed me down a lot. 

Mental Health After a COVID-19 Diagnosis

Under normal circumstances, I struggle with a lot of fear and anxiety about factors that are outside of my control. This fear is amplified when I am fighting an illness that has gotten so much media coverage, and that strikes fear into the heart of many people. This is particularly applicable in Peru, where we live under strict government regulations designed to control the outbreak of the virus. 

I felt so much fear during the first few days of the illness, especially as my cough worsened and my fatigue increased. This fear increased further as my husband also started showing symptoms and would wake up battling fever in the middle of the night. These symptoms played further on my anxiety and made me obsess about becoming one of the severe cases that have to go to the hospital. 

It can be scary when your health is compromised, bringing up other mental health issues. At times, I struggle with obsessive thought patterns about other factors that I can't control, like the political situation in Peru and my future plans with my husband. I may spend hours obsessing about possible outcomes or trying to control these events in the future so that nothing takes me by surprise. 

Overall, the experience has triggered a lot of my underlying anxieties and brought them to the surface. Especially because I am spending a lot of time in bed, I have hours to ruminate about issues and imagine worst-case scenarios. Although I am more preoccupied with my physical health, COVID-19 has also taken a toll on my mental health. 

In the following video, I discuss what I've been doing to manage my mental health while fighting COVID-19 symptoms.

Have you had a COVID-19 diagnosis? How has it affected your mental health? Let me know what strategies you used to get through the process and how you're coping now.