Now's no time for complacency, COVID-19 'long-hauler' warns

At first, Paul Quarrellis remarkably matter-of-factas he recountshow he nearly lost his wife, Brianne, to COVID-19 this spring.

He describesdropping her off at the general campus of The Ottawa Hospital, where she would end up spending nearly a month, including time in a coma andon a ventilator. At times, Brianne didn't know where she was.

Paul is suddenly overcome with emotion, though, when he begins talking about how he eventually stopped calling the hospital for updates.

"I was scared to call.If I call,I'll find out something bad," he said,giving in totears.He couldn't imagine what he would tell theirtwo young daughters.

• Lingering symptoms among COVID-19 'long-haulers' remain a mystery

Sitting beside him, Briannestarts to cry, too. Until this admission, she had no idea her husband had stopped checking in with her medical team during the two weeks she was intubated.

"It breaks my heart to see him feel that way," she said. "I only processed after I got home, I think, the severity ofhow bad it was."

WATCH | What it's like to be a COVID-19 'long-hauler':

What its like to be a COVID-19 long-hauler

4 years ago

Duration 1:10

Brianne Quarrell says shes still dealing with the lingering effects of a COVID-19 infection, which she was hospitalized for in March and April.

BrianneQuarrell, 40, is what doctors call aCOVID-19 "long-hauler." She first tested positive on March 30, when her husband dropped her off at the ER after she became short of breath. She didn't test negative until 79 days later, on June 17.

Quarrell still feelsthe effects of the disease, even now. Her senseof taste and smell hasn't returned, her hair is falling out and she's constantly short of breath.

"Things are still lingering. I mean,you can hear it in my voice. I'm still very hoarse. I'm still quite puffy. I'm losing my hair like you wouldn't believe, in fistfuls."

Don't think it'sover. That's my biggest thing, is that people are justgetting super complacent.- Brianne Quarrell

Those are the physical effects. There are others.

"It's just blah.There's no joy.... I don't want to go outside, because I don't like how I feel or look. It's beenpretty lonely. There's also that stigma.Once you have COVID, people are a little less eager to see you," she said.

"I'm also very clumsy. I'll fall. I have very limited depth perception, and brain fog. You know, it's hard for me to come up with words."

WATCH | 'I'm not the mom that they once had':

Im not the mom that they once had

4 years ago

Duration 1:04

Brianne Quarrell says her ongoing COVID-19 symptoms are interfering with the type of mother she wants to be to her two elementary-age daughters.

The Barrhaven couple hasa simple message for other families, especially as Ottawa and other regions experience a resurgence of COVID-19: Don't become complacent.

"Don't think it'sover. That's my biggest thing, is that people are justgetting super complacent," Briannesaid.

"Being in the ICU,having that tube shoved down your throat, don't think that's a really pleasant feeling.It's not a pleasant placeto be by yourself. It's horrible."

And yet, it's a message she fears isn't getting through to people.

"I've gone to stores, people are wearing their masks under their nose.What's that going to do?" she said. "Stay vigilant.It's not gone. There's no vaccine.There's no sign it's slowing down."

Family's symptoms differed

The family suspects Paul Quarrell, 46, a rehabilitation assistant at CHEO(the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario), was the first to contract COVID-19, at the end of March. His symptoms weremild, just a slight cough and chills.

The couple has two young daughters together, as well as a teenage daughter from Paul's previous relationship. While the girls were never tested and never showed symptoms, the Quarrells believe they likely contracted the illness because they were all together in the same house.

In 2018, Briannewas diagnosed with a benign brain tumour. She had it successfully removed, but her doctorbelieves it triggered two autoimmune conditionsthatwreaked havoc on her hormones, lungs and kidneys. She said her doctor also suspects that's why she became so sick with COVID-19.

To deal with theautoimmune conditions, she tookvarious medications, including high doses of steroids.The steroids caused weight gain, particularly inBrianne'sface. But there may have been a silver lining, since studies have recently shown treatingCOVID-19 patients with steroids can reduce their risk of death.

"They're saying that the steroids actually probably helped me get through the intubation, and actuallymade me survive. [That]pretty much is what their research is showing now.At the time, nobody knew that," she said.

Briannesaid there hasn't been much follow-up from her medical team about her ongoing symptoms, or any effort to document them,a lapse she described as "frustrating."

She nowbelongs toa Facebook group of COVID-19 long-haulers,andsaid it's comforting to know she's not the only one experiencing ongoing symptoms.

The Quarrells get frustrated when they hearchattersuggesting COVID-19 isn't that serious,that only people who are immuno-compromised get sick.

"I see online people will be saying, 'Whatever, I'm young, I'm healthy, it won't affect me.It's just people that have these extenuating illnesses that really get sick from it,'" Paulsaid.

"I get angry, becausewhy is it OK?My wife has these issues, why is it OKfor you to say, 'Sacrifice her?'" he asked. "I almost lost my wife because of thisdisease.Why is that OKwith you?"

WATCH | Paul Quarrell describes life at home while Brianne was in the hospital with COVID-19:

Ottawa man describes life at home while wife was in hospital with COVID-19

4 years ago

Duration 1:33

When his wife, Brianne, was intubated with COVID-19 in April, Paul Quarrell says he was at home thinking about what would happen if she were to die of the disease.

Briannesaid she knows life underlockdownhas been painful and anxiety-inducing for many people. She said she also feels isolatedand misses her old life. She's worried that her ongoing symptoms could mean it will be a long time before she ever has that old lifeback.

"Don't think it can't happen to you," she warned. "Do yourself the favour, do your family the favour ... don't go through what we went through. Idon't want that for anyone."