March 5th marks the third remembrance of the first Covid-19 case in Clark County. The southern Nevada Health District (SNHD) says we've come a long way since those early days of the pandemic.
But for many, the long-lasting effects of Covid-19 continue to plague them. A painful reminder of what was to come to our valley.
For Andres Fragoso Jr., he lives it every day. Although fully vaccinated, he tells me he's had covid 4 times in the last three years. And he's still trying to get over what he calls very intense long-lasting effects from his first round of covid back in November of 2020.
"I started having fainting spells, no balance, vertigo 24/7, dry heaving…" said Fragoso.
He blames covid and says the virus left him unable to walk, stand up or even do the most basic chores at home. His mother traveled from Mexico to stay with him for months. Fragoso says he couldn't go to work or drive for 2 years.
Even after being tested for a long list of possible ailments, no doctor could say with certainty what was wrong but a condition known as long-haul covid is suspected.
It wasn't until late last year he started feeling better and was able to park his wheelchair and begin using a walking cane. He's now on medication that helps, but can't miss a dose.
"Medication for vertigo and for nausea. And because they doubled the dosage, I’m doing better but if I miss a dose, I'm on the floor," said Fragoso.
He says covid has taught him about patience and acceptance...And hopes these long-lasting covid effects may one day be no more. Until then, he encourages himself and other covid patients to not give up.
Health care professionals are still feeling the after effects of the pandemic. Such as burn out, uncertainty and extreme stress plague the health care system.
Kimberly Franich with the SNHD recalls the suffering covid caused once it sank its teeth into Clark County.
“We've had more than 600,000 confirmed cases in clark county alone. And we've had somewhere around 9,300 deaths associated with covid. So, this was very unprecedented. We've made lots of strides in the last 3 years," said Franich, a communicable disease manager for SNHD.
Despite low covid cases in Clark County right now, there's been a rise in the kraken subvariant. It’s described by health officials as the most contagious covid strain yet…
