PHOTOGRAPH BY JOHNATHON KELSO FOR BLOOMBERG BUSINESSWEEK
JakeElsas
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ATLANTAElsasjuggledthreejobsandwasactiveinhiscommunityuntilhefellsickinmid-Marchwith
whathisdoctorsbelievewasCovid-19.Althoughtheinitialsymptomsweremild,thedisease
haslefthimgrapplingwithfatigue,brainfog,andworsenedinsomnia,forcinghimtodras-
ticallycutbackhisworkschedule.My brain has a much harder time processing information. And when I do too
much, it gets worse. Have you ever had so muchto drink thatwhen youlie down in
bed at night, the room is spinning? “The spins,” for people who know these things.
Right now it’s relatively mild. If I exert myself too much, the dizziness will increase.
Like,eventhisconversation—overtime,it’sgoingtogetharderandharderforme.
Things thatI would haveconsidered simple tasks are so challenging now.It can take
me two hours to writean email. I changed the litterbox a coupleof days ago.About
halfwayintowhatis maybe a 10-to 15-minuteprocess,I was drenched incold sweat,
and myhead was swimming. In thepast I would typicallysleep probably around
seven hours. Now, I’m getting maybe four or five hours of sleep. I literally have not
been restedthroughsevenmonths. It’sunpredictable—that’sone ofthebiggest issues
forme. I cannotbeproductiveovera sustainedperiod.I’msure I wouldn’t beableto
doa full-time job. There’s just no way. I’ve had chest X-rays. I’ve had blood tests
up the wazoo. Every infection that you could think of, they have tested me for. Now
they’re finally just starting to focus on my brain. This has impacted my mental
health, no doubt about it. I have certainly felt moments of great self-pity, followed
almostimmediatelybyguilt.Acceptingthatthisis mynewnormalis betterformethan
to think, “Oh, I’m going to get better.” �As told to Emma Court57Bloomberg Businessweek (^) THE NEW ECONOMY November 16, 2020