Eman Jamal no longer wakes up feeling sick every day.
But eight months after contracting Covid-19 in Dubai, she has still not fully recovered.
The 35-year-old had what was classified as a mild case of the virus, with a cough and initial difficulty breathing.
But weeks later, the symptoms lingered, and she is still to this day suffering from bouts of chest pain and shortness of breath.
I will be okay for sometimes an entire week at a time, and then suddenly I wake up with a breathing difficulty
She is one of a small subset of former Covid-19 patients known as long-haulers, who suffer lasting effects of the virus.
The last time The National checked in on Ms Jamal, in September, she was recovering – but the symptoms flare up every now and then.
The Dubai resident is plagued by ongoing health problems.
“I will be okay for sometimes an entire week at a time, and then suddenly I wake up with a breathing difficulty,” she said.
“I try to rest for a bit and then a couple of days later, I might feel better.”
Extensive tests revealed Ms Jamal, who is Palestinian-American, has an obstruction in her airways.
“But we don’t know if this is going to be a short-term or long-term asthma, or a chronic pulmonary lung disease that is progressive and more dangerous,” she said.
“They don’t know how this is going to play out.”
Ms Jamal manages her symptoms with an inhaler and other medicine, so she feels good for longer.
“I am a lot more functional. But I am definitely not back to where I used to be,” she said.
Ms Jamal is not alone and there are many long-haulers left with lasting health problems after becoming infected.
Seema Mary Rajan, 39, a nurse working in Sharjah, also experienced continuing health problems since testing positive for the virus in May.
The Al Zahra Hospital employee said she felt constant pain in her joints for months before she was told a few weeks ago that she had osteoarthritis.
“The doctor told me it was likely to have been caused by Covid-19 as I never experienced the symptoms before that,” she said.
“The joints in my fingers get really sore when they are cold. That happens a lot because I work in a hospital and I have to run cold water quite a bit.
“It is not curable and I will have it for the rest of my life.”
Ms Rajan said she was always healthy before testing positive earlier this year.
After becoming infected, she experienced some heaviness in her chest and in breathing for several months.
Other sufferers in the UAE said their symptoms have improved over time.
Ahmad Zahalqa, 28, a site engineer in Dubai, who caught the virus in mid-April, does not feel any after-effects.
When interviewed by The National in September, he still suffered from lingering shortness of breath, particularly while exercising at the gym.
“Now I do not feel any shortness of breath or fatigue. I am performing better than before at the gym and I can see the difference in my body. I am leaner and my muscles are more defined,” said Mr Zahalqa, a Palestinian-Jordanian bodybuilder.
He came in contact with two positive cases after he had recovered but tested negative.
“I had two encounters when I should have caught the virus again, for sure, but surprisingly I did not,” he said.
He was in the car with a friend who tested positive a few hours later.
“We were sharing the same space, air and AC. He was even smoking in the car, and after discovering he had Covid-19. I tested but I was negative,” he said.
One of his colleagues tested positive but Mr Zahalqa was negative, which could be because of the immunity he had developed the first time.
“We worked in the same office for four days and he coughed and sneezed the whole time. Then he tested positive but I remained negative,” he said.
“Normally, this time of year, I always go down with a heavy flu that lasts for two weeks, but this year I did not.”
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Laura Shapiro
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Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh12 million
Engine 8.0-litre quad-turbo, W16
Gearbox seven-speed dual clutch auto
Power 1479 @ 6,700rpm
Torque 1600Nm @ 2,000rpm 0-100kph: 2.6 seconds 0-200kph: 6.1 seconds
Top speed 420 kph (governed)
Fuel economy, combined 35.2L / 100km (est)
BOSH!'s pantry essentials
Nutritional yeast
This is Firth's pick and an ingredient he says, "gives you an instant cheesy flavour". He advises making your own cream cheese with it or simply using it to whip up a mac and cheese or wholesome lasagne. It's available in organic and specialist grocery stores across the UAE.
Seeds
"We've got a big jar of mixed seeds in our kitchen," Theasby explains. "That's what you use to make a bolognese or pie or salad: just grab a handful of seeds and sprinkle them over the top. It's a really good way to make sure you're getting your omegas."
Umami flavours
"I could say soya sauce, but I'll say all umami-makers and have them in the same batch," says Firth. He suggests having items such as Marmite, balsamic vinegar and other general, dark, umami-tasting products in your cupboard "to make your bolognese a little bit more 'umptious'".
Onions and garlic
"If you've got them, you can cook basically anything from that base," says Theasby. "These ingredients are so prevalent in every world cuisine and if you've got them in your cupboard, then you know you've got the foundation of a really nice meal."
Your grain of choice
Whether rice, quinoa, pasta or buckwheat, Firth advises always having a stock of your favourite grains in the cupboard. "That you, you have an instant meal and all you have to do is just chuck a bit of veg in."
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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'Cheb%20Khaled'
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EArtist%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKhaled%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELabel%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBelieve%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
SERIE A FIXTURES
Friday Sassuolo v Torino (Kick-off 10.45pm UAE)
Saturday Atalanta v Sampdoria (5pm),
Genoa v Inter Milan (8pm),
Lazio v Bologna (10.45pm)
Sunday Cagliari v Crotone (3.30pm)
Benevento v Napoli (6pm)
Parma v Spezia (6pm)
Fiorentina v Udinese (9pm)
Juventus v Hellas Verona (11.45pm)
Monday AC Milan v AS Roma (11.45pm)
The BIO:
He became the first Emirati to climb Mount Everest in 2011, from the south section in Nepal
He ascended Mount Everest the next year from the more treacherous north Tibetan side
By 2015, he had completed the Explorers Grand Slam
Last year, he conquered K2, the world’s second-highest mountain located on the Pakistan-Chinese border
He carries dried camel meat, dried dates and a wheat mixture for the final summit push
His new goal is to climb 14 peaks that are more than 8,000 metres above sea level
Fifa%20World%20Cup%20Qatar%202022%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFirst%20match%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENovember%2020%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFinal%2016%20round%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDecember%203%20to%206%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EQuarter-finals%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDecember%209%20and%2010%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESemi-finals%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDecember%2013%20and%2014%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFinal%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDecember%2018%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
