Many people experience debilitating physical and mental health symptoms for months post Covid-19 recovery. While companies have to do their bit for employees, there needs to be larger concerted public policy initiatives to create awareness
Megha Todi from Mumbai says contracting Covid was nothing compared to the after-effects that kept building on in her body and mind
Photo: Madhu KapparathOne week into her internship at a venture capital (VC) firm in Mumbai in early April, Megha Todi tested positive for Covid-19. With mild symptoms, she isolated herself at home for 15 days following which she recovered and tested negative. Todi’s intention was to get on with work “full throttle”. But what happened with her physical and mental health thereon was completely unexpected. “Now I feel like contracting Covid itself was nothing compared to the after-effects that keep building on in my body and mind,” the 30-year-old tells Forbes India. Her first clue that things were not completely alright was brain fog. As someone who efficiently ticked all the items on her to-do list daily, Todi instead found herself staring at the screen and being unable to think clearly at work. There was consistent fatigue and inability to multitask. “One day I do well at work, but the next day, I’m not able to even get myself to sit up straight and concentrate. It’s cyclical,” Todi says, adding that she has continuous backache, her gastro-intestinal health has gone for a toss, and she is even scared to get out of the house for a walk because of energy levels that plummet at the slightest exertion. All this, in turn, leads to anxiety and guilt of being unable to perform and be productive in a fast-paced work environment.