A woman in Canada has applied for medically assisted suicide because she cannot carry on living with the symptoms of long COVID.
Woman applies for assisted suicide due to long COVID
Tracy Thompson has been unable to work for a little over two years after being infected with the coronavirus at the beginning of the pandemic.
Thompson, a former chef from Toronto suffered from a range of symptoms even after recovering from COVID-19
Her symptoms include ‘blurred vision, difficulty digesting food, difficulty breathing, an altered sense of taste and smell, and scars on her heart from swelling due to myocarditis’.
According to Mayo Clinic, one in five people aged 18 to 64 will have at least one medical condition that might be due to COVID-19 between one month and one year after having the virus.
“From being able-bodied and employed to bed-bound,” Tracey said in an interview. Her symptoms are debilitating and she has decided to end life on her terms.
More on Tracey’s condition
Additionally, she also shed light on the lack of financial support for people suffering from long COVID. She said that while she does not want to die but she has come to terms with the idea that if she doesn’t get the support she desperately needs then she feels she’s left with no other choice.
“I still enjoy life. Birds chirping, small things that make up a day are still pleasant to me, they’re still enjoyable. I still enjoy my friends. There’s a lot to enjoy in life, even if it’s small,” she stated.
She currently has a disability allowance that is barely covering her rent. It does not leave any money for food, lifestyle, or bills.
It is also within Tracey’s rights to request medically assisted suicide in Canada. She has sought one doctor’s approval for the procedure and needs another for making it legal.
“But I don’t relish the idea of suffering for months to come to the same conclusion. When support is not coming, things aren’t going to change. It seems irrational to put myself through that just to die in the end. I’m very ill.
“There is no treatment. There is no cure for long COVID. You don’t have to be terminally ill. My choices are basically to die slowly and painfully, or quickly. Those are the options that are left,” she added.