Long Covid - The life of the past no longer exists

We have now been living with the Corona pandemic for two years.

For some recovered from Covid-19, symptoms remain that severely impact their quality of life. Approximately 10-20% of those infected with Covid-19 remain symptomatic months after the acute disease phase. Some suffer long-term consequences for more than a year: chronic fatigue, forgetfulness, pain, loss of smell, and a constant feeling of illness are some of them. What experts know today: Long Covid is a multi-organ disease. But the possibility of a precise diagnosis or a promising therapy is missing. This is a project about people who suffer from long-term consequences of their infection since the first wave of the pandemic.

© Patrick Junker & Jonathan Terlinden - Image from the Long Covid - The life of the past no longer exists photography project
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"I was permanently at full speed. I was working. The life I had before doesn't exist anymore." Karl Baumann, 53, fell ill with Covid-19 at the beginning of March 2020 and had to be placed in an artificial coma in intensive care. After the first, rehab founded one of the first support group for people with long-term effects in Germany. He has numerous long-term consequences. The most severe symptoms are forgetfulness and constant fatigue. His wife has to carry the crates of drinks into the apartment today.

© Patrick Junker & Jonathan Terlinden - Image from the Long Covid - The life of the past no longer exists photography project
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"I feel like the grandfather who gets visited. They tend to be short visits, and then they mostly talk about health and illness." Lennart Reimers, 27, became infected with Covid-19 in March 2020, the first wave of the pandemic. Although he had a mild course, he still suffers from post-Covid, the long-term effects of his illness. He is physically no longer able to work under pressure, suffers from fatigue, and has problems concentrating.

© Patrick Junker & Jonathan Terlinden - Image from the Long Covid - The life of the past no longer exists photography project
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"All I did was sleep. And at some point, I couldn't sleep either, even though I was tired." Ute Bauer-Vollbracht, 55, was diagnosed with a perforation in early April. She had to undergo emergency bowel surgery and then probably contracted Covid-19 in the hospital. After her acute illness, she started to feel better, but from August 2020, she became weaker every day. Headaches, shortness of breath, difficulty finding words and aching limbs were part of her daily routine.

© Patrick Junker & Jonathan Terlinden - Image from the Long Covid - The life of the past no longer exists photography project
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"I never thought I was on the verge of organ failure." Otto Rommel, 68, was on a trip around the world when the Corona pandemic began. When he arrived back home, he had to go into intensive care with Covid-19. He has many traumatic memories from his time in the ICU. Furthermore, he suffers from concentration problems, sleep disturbances, and panic attacks. Physically, he remains far below the level that he had before the disease.

© Patrick Junker & Jonathan Terlinden - Image from the Long Covid - The life of the past no longer exists photography project
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"People with Corona long-term effects don't get help. That's inexplicable to me." Luisa Meißner, 23, as a result of Covid-19 and her time in the intensive care unit, Luisa Meißner developed the symptoms of ataxia, a disorder of cerebellar function. A year after her illness, she can walk only a few meters with the help of canes. When unplanned waiting times occur, she just sits on the floor. Brain fog and forgetfulness are also still present in her.

© Patrick Junker & Jonathan Terlinden - Image from the Long Covid - The life of the past no longer exists photography project
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"My life before Corona was full. I was never sick. I only knew doctors' offices from hearsay." Wolfgang Gerteisen, 66, was in intensive care with Covid-19 for 87 days. Cough, sleep disturbances and the scar on his forehead remain. But he can lead a self-determined life again. For a long time, it was not clear whether he would survive. His wife founded the association “Living with Corona” for people with long-term illnesses and their relatives in German-speaking countries.

© Patrick Junker & Jonathan Terlinden - Image from the Long Covid - The life of the past no longer exists photography project
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"It's not going to be the same as it was before. It took me a long time to accept that." Birgit Brunner, 51, fell ill with Covid-19 together with her 10-year-old daughter. Both still suffer from exhaustion and a weakened immune system. They constantly get inflammations and infections. Birgit Brunner often forgets simple things, like the ingredients for lasagna. Many doctors do not take her and her daughter's symptoms seriously. Through a call for help in Facebook groups, she found doctors who take her symptoms seriously.

© Patrick Junker & Jonathan Terlinden - Image from the Long Covid - The life of the past no longer exists photography project
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"Every time I washed my hair, I saw tufts disappear down the drain." Theresa Makowsky, 26, contracted with Covid-19 in a club at the end of February 2020. But long-term consequences accompanied her for more than a year: pain in the lungs, olfactory irritations, fatigue and hair loss. "I wished so many times last summer that I didn't have this disease. It was like someone was pressing on my chest with their hand to make it harder for me to breathe."

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