Three years ago, Andrea Vanek was studying to be an arts and crafts teacher when spells of dizziness and heart palpitations suddenly made it impossible for her to even take short walks.
After seeing a succession of doctors, she was diagnosed with long Covid and even now spends most of her days in the small living room of her third-floor flat in the Austrian capital, Vienna, sitting on the windowsill to observe the world outside.
“I can’t plan anything because I just don’t know how long this illness will last,” the 33-year-old says.
Vanek tries to be careful not to exert herself to avoid another “crash”, which for her is marked by debilitating muscle weakness and can last for months, making it hard to even open a bottle of water.