A young woman who tested positive for Covid a day after her 22nd birthday had to learn to walk and talk again after spending days in an induced coma.
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Unexpected Reaction To Covid
Ffion Barnett thought being and young and healthy would limit the impact of the virus on her, Wales Online reports.
But she was wrong as shortly after testing positive for Covid, her health began to deteriorate—she struggled to breathe and had to be rushed to a hospital where she was put in an induced coma for five days and had to learn to walk, talk and eat all over again.
Ffion, a marketing student, said she first suspected she may have caught the virus after she lost her sense of smell.
I felt a bit rough before that, but I wasn't displaying any of the telltale symptoms. But when I realized I couldn't taste that's when things got real. I wasn't particularly worried at the time. I was just too focused on being in isolation and getting better.
Youthful Exuberance
Ffion was in a coma for five days, after which walking, talking and eating properly became difficult for her; she had to relearn these otherwise mundane activities.
When I did manage to talk it just wasn't my voice. Then when I got home I needed looking after. I needed help bathing, people had to make my food for me
Ffion had to deal with the unusual side effect brought on by the virus, which is hair loss. She said:
I had really long, thick hair. I didn't start losing it until I came out of hospital. It was hard at first but it got to the point where I woke up one morning and decide to shave it off. I took it in my stride really.
Ffion, who works in a café and lived in Tonypandy, Rhondda, was not vaccinated because she thought she had youth on her side. But after her traumatic encounter with Covid, she is now an advocate for vaccination.
I wasn't vaccinated because I thought, being young with no health conditions, I was safe. Obviously I was wrong. I now want to raise awareness of the importance of the vaccine and how Covid isn't just dangerous for the elderly; it can affect anyone.
