Gasping For Breath’s second season highlights the experiences of people living with long COVID-19, their coping mechanisms and stigma
The podcast cover art illustrated by Upasana Agarwal/Suno India
Physical pain, as much as emotional, is subjective. It can never be fully understood by a body outside of the one where it occurs. Even tools to communicate, which qualify and quantify pain in order to diagnose and treat it may prove inadequate, ultimately contributing to a rise in medical gaslighting and stigma against those who face illnesses and persistent pain. One of these conditions is the post-COVID-19 condition or long COVID, a topic tackled by Suno India in the second season of its podcast, Gasping For Breath.
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With a patient-forward approach, the podcast navigates the symptoms, impacts and dealings with long COVID. According to the World Health Organisation, common symptoms include fatigue, shortness of breath and cognitive dysfunction which impact everyday functioning. Symptoms last for weeks or months after the infection
and cannot be explained by alternative diagnoses.
DVL Padma Priya
The condition is an extension of dealing with the pandemic, yet discussions on the topic in South Asia may not go beyond its definition. Editor-in-chief and co-founder of Suno India, DVL Padma Priya, highlights that while we may understand statistics, we still need to understand its impact on people’s lives. This season of the podcast aims to build a space and platform for people living with long COVID to share their experiences, and help break the stigma barriers. She feels listeners will be able to relate to this since not many understand what their body is experiencing, are unable to explain it to their family or end up being overlooked by them. “Long COVID is being defined as a mass disabling event,” shares Priya, who also lives with the same condition. She reminds us, “It’s not ‘all in our head’, it’s real.”
Menaka Rao
Contributing editor at Suno India and health journalist, Menaka Rao, who hosts the podcast, says that as many people living with long COVID come to terms with how the condition is a long-term disability, they are seeking ways to manage it. “We need to talk about its impact, how debilitating it is, and the emotional upheaval involved,” she summarises.
In the three episodes that have been released, Rao mentions that long COVID patients advocate for themselves. Priya, who runs India Covid Survivors Group — a Telegram support group for patients, which includes doctors and researchers — adds that the conversation on long COVID in India is led by patients. “It’s impact is felt at various levels in a person’s life.”
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