Struggling with physical effects of COVID

Sophomore Iman Naqvi is one of many ARHS students who has contracted COVID-19. She traveled to Pakistan in February 2022, where she contracted the virus, hindering her travel plans and harming her physical health. 

Naqvi, who is vaccinated and traveled with family to visit her grandfather, tested negative for the virus before boarding her flight and felt fine when they arrived. However, she started to feel sick after only three days overseas.

 “My aunt who was at the house that we stayed at did not know she had COVID-19, and once she started feeling sick, my family and I started feeling sick shortly after,” Naqvi said.

At first, Naqvi and her family thought the sickness was just allergies, but they later tested positive for COVID-19 and were forced to quarantine for five days.

“The first night was the worst,” Naqvi said. “I had such a high fever, around 102 degrees. I was just sitting there, and probably because of the fever and dehydration, I fainted. I wasn’t out for long, maybe five minutes, but it was still pretty scary.”

The fever, which lasted nearly four days, was just one of many symptoms she experienced.

“I felt very weak and I was so tired; I have never felt that tired before,” Naqvi said. “One day we went to the mall after we had passed the contagious period, and we only walked around for thirty minutes, yet I was still so tired.”

In addition to these symptoms, Naqvi had to deal with constant coughing, which she still battles. 

“A few days into the illness, I developed this awful cough,” Naqvi said. “At times I couldn’t breathe, and it still hasn’t gone away, despite over a month passing since I tested positive for COVID-19.”

Continuous coughing due to COVID-19 has negatively impacted Naqvi’s physical health.

“The cough continued after I got home, and my back started hurting a lot,” Naqvi said. “One day I woke up, and my sides were hurting a lot; my mom thinks this pain might be caused by a rib fracture.”

Because of her illness, she never got to visit her grandfather but is grateful he did not become infected. 

“Although I am really sad I didn’t get to see my grandfather, I’m glad my family and I did not put him at risk for COVID-19 and that he is safe,” Naqvi said.