British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced plans to "coexist with covid-19" in February, abandoning lockdowns and strict quarantine measures. Now that the Uk has been "lying flat" for nearly two months, while the number of confirmed cases has increased by more than 300,000 a week, the UK's medical, educational and service industries have not been able to "recover smoothly" as many people think. As early as January this year, the famous scholar Martin Jacques revealed on social media that his son Ravi needed to stay in bed for 16 hours a day because of chronic fatigue caused by the new crown virus. He denounced his son's current situation as a product of Britain's serious failure to control the coronavirus. Recently, Martin was interviewed by the Observer Network and talked about a number of topics. In the first part of this article, he talked to us about his son's long-term symptoms of COVID-19 and the treatment.
【Interview/Observer Network Liu Qianquan】
Observer Network: Hello Martin, how have you been lately? The last time we talked was more than four months ago, and we missed you a lot.
Martin: Honestly, I'm not doing well lately. I've been writing books lately, which takes up almost all of my time. I've been writing every day since I was writing, and almost a day hasn't fallen in two years.
Some time ago I finally took my son Ravi out on a vacation. He hadn't been out of the house in a long time. I took him out of town, found a hotel to stay in, and had a great time.
It was also close to where he was treated. He suffered from "long Covid", and the current treatment plan, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, was also experimental for him. That is, oxygen is inhaled under pressure. He's been treated for two days now, five days this week, so he's in the hospital.
The hospital is in central Midlands, England, near the city of Coventry. There are four days of treatment next week. Hopefully, this treatment plan will work. It can't cure him, but it may make him feel better physically.
Observer Network: I first learned that your son was infected with COVID-19 from your Weibo, and I was particularly worried. Other colleagues are like me. It is estimated that Ravi is not working properly at present, right?
Martin: He was asymptomatic at first, so we didn't even know he had an infection. He is different from most cases.
It took quite a while to realize that this could be a "long-term COVID-19". After all, if you are infected with the new crown, you will not think of any "long-term new crown".
His initial discomfort was on March 1 last year, and until last November he had to stay in bed for 16 hours a day. At this stage, he was so weak that he could hardly do anything even when he got up. The main symptom is prolonged fatigue.
From November, his condition improved a little. The daily bed rest time was reduced from 16 hours to 13 hours. We thought his condition was getting better, but that improvement stalled. So I really hope this new treatment will make him a little better.
The headache now is that no one can say exactly what a "long-term coronavirus" is. Some viral diseases, such as myalgic encephalomyelitis, no one knows the exact cause. Ravi had a number of symptoms, the most stubborn of which was constant fatigue, which made him weak.
Symptoms of COVID-19 also included "brain fog," but he didn't. Ravi also has some illnesses, such as intermittent loss of taste and smell, but is normal most of the time. He had tinnitus for a while, and now it's okay. He is now in a state of weakness and fatigue for a long time, so he can't do anything.
Observer Network: This is so worrying. For Ravi, it was also frustrating for him. I still remember that during the Spring Festival, he also played the violin and posted a video through your Weibo to wish Chinese friends a happy new year.
Martin: Yeah, he plays his violin very well. Before November, he couldn't play the piano. When his condition improved, he began playing the piano for 20 minutes a day. 20 minutes is certainly not a big deal, but it's a significant improvement over the previous period.
Observer Network: Indeed, physical strength is gradually recovering.
Martin: Yes, but this recovery has stalled. Then again, he did something to become a caller for a cure for "long-term COVID-19."
He started using Twitter, which he had never tweeted before. He uses it very well now, and there are still many fans.
He was invited to speak before the British Parliament's Science and Health Committee, appeared on Al Jazeera, and appeared on a popular American television show. Last weekend, the Observer, Britain's national Sunday newspaper, also published an article about him, which was overwhelmingly well received.
In short, in the fight against COVID-19, Ravi found a way to express himself, sharing his feelings, experiences and suggestions. This is also a good thing for him.
Observer Network: I'm so happy to hear you say that! I haven't met him, but I really think he's a brave man, an amazing guy, a good role model for us.
Martin: Well, you know, it's really hard to survive with COVID-19, and I've been waiting inside, hoping to see signs of his improvement. As time goes by, although you are still expecting him to eventually heal, you know in your heart that this is impossible, just an expectation. For him, it was a terrible encounter. For me, seeing him go through such an encounter, my whole life was like a huge dark cloud.
After lying flat, britain found that things were not so simple
Observer Network: I can imagine how tough it all can be for you. I would like to ask, how long did it take from the time Ravi was infected to the time he was taken to the hospital to be diagnosed? Of course, I understand that the time node of the virus is more difficult to confirm.
Martin: The point is that there is no "diagnosis." Because the doctor could not tell what the disease was, it was impossible to give the corresponding test. There are tests for COVID-19, and we've all done tests. However, there are no readily available detection reagents for "long-term new crown", etc., and can only be diagnosed by a series of symptoms. Instead, first know what the cause is, and then test to verify.
That said, there is a huge gap in our understanding of this virus. Little is known about how this disease, or "Post-virus disease," can be treated medically.
In 2021, the UK set up about 20 clinics dedicated to treating "long-term COVID-19" patients, and last November Lavi went to one such clinic in London. But they cannot provide any treatment because there is currently no cure. So all you can do is wait.
According to official figures, 1.5 million people in the UK suffer from "long-term coronavirus". Screenshot from BBC
Later, Ravi stumbled upon a hyperbaric oxygen therapy that was sometimes used on diving enthusiasts. So he decided to give it a try and see how it worked.
Observer Network: That's not the same as a ventilator, right?
Martin: Yeah, it's not the same as a ventilator. As far as I know, after going in, put on an oxygen mask, about an hour and a half, and inhale oxygen at a certain pressure intensity. This is one of many research theories based on the coronavirus, that is, small clots (thrombosis) appear in the blood flow of COVID-19 patients, and oxygen intake in the high-pressure state can help solve the lack of oxygen caused by blood clots.
Observer Network: Has Ravi done a CT scan of the lungs?
Martin: So far Ravi hasn't done CT or MRI. Other patients did it, but nothing was found. In his case, these scans are not displayed.
Observer Network: For now, all Ravi needs is patience, perseverance and luck.
Martin: Yeah, and courage.
Observer Network: Exactly. He was a brave little man. I wish him all peace. I pray for him.
Martin: Thank you!
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