COVID-19 INFLUENCERS

You might remember early 2020. We were told by many sources Covid was a respiratory illness, short and mild in the young and healthy. It wasn't so. Since March 2020, Covid survivors like myself have taken to social media platforms to share their experience of a severe, overwhelming, prolonged disease, with a strong multi-systemic and cardiovascular component. By coining and sharing on Twitter the name and hashtag #LongCovid/ Long Covid, I contributed to cementing these experiences, linking a burgeoning advocacy community, and giving a name to people's suffering. Activism and patient-driven research built on social media have changed the history of this pandemic. Long Covid was openly recognized by the WHO in August 2020 thanks to efforts by Covid survivors. The rise of Long Covid as a clinical entity and a social movement is now being documented in books and scientific studies. Since coining the name Long Covid in spring 2020, I have remained very active on social media like Twitter and in the research-advocacy community. I took part to the landmark WHO meeting, which formally recognized Long Covid. I contributed to and/or co-led efforts that led to the formal recognition of Long Covid in different countries. I wrote some of the first publications in the world on Long Covid and the history of the patient-led collective movement. I am Long Covid Kids champion with the Charity Long Covid Kids for the recognition of Long Covid in children. I tweet about Long Covid, SARS-CoV-2, and infectious diseases in our pandemic time at @elisaperego78. I am still severely ill with Long Covid.