It is hard to believe it was already five years ago that the world temporarily shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the mysterious virus which began in Wuhan, China, as a localized pneumonia outbreak. By early 2020, countries were considering closing borders, canceling flights, and closing schools. The virus has since claimed millions of lives worldwide.
In the fall of 2021, the Delta variant was prevalent. One evening, our oldest began coughing and sneezing. His temperature was 102 degrees. The next morning, I took him to a local Urgent Care practice and got him tested. A few hours later, a doctor called to tell me that our son had COVID. I asked him if there was anything we could treat him with, because my 17-year-old, who rarely complained, was miserable. According to Dr. Jordan Vaughn, the answer was yes.
Each family member has had COVID a few times now, and fortunately for us, it just seemed like a tiring virus. Until last August. Our youngest had it again and seemingly recovered. But that was followed by bronchitis, and then another respiratory virus around Christmas. In February 2025, he got COVID again from a friend. By spring, he was experiencing shortness of breath, which we attributed to allergies and mild Asthma. So we went to his general practitioner, who asked a lot of good questions but revealed no source of his bronchial issues. Then the doctor asked him if he was just anxious. Like most moms who have been through a thing or two, my patience for stupid questions has waned over the years. My hanging-by-a-thread tolerance must have been written all over my scowling face, because next thing I knew, the doctor was offering a chest x-ray.
A few days later, while mundanely cleaning my kitchen, it dawned on me – he may have long COVID. I texted a friend whose son had been diagnosed with long COVID, and she affirmed my hunch. A mother’s intuition is often spot on, but laboratory results don’t lie. And the lab results told the story – long COVID it is.
Long COVID can consist of a variety of long-lasting symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog, shortness of breath, chest pain or chest tightness, periodic coughing which produces mucus, and headache. Irregular heartbeat and gastrointestinal issues can also be representative of this condition. A long COVID diagnosis is generally determined by running extensive blood panels and looking at inflammation in the body.
Other conditions that some may be diagnosed with along with long COVID are Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), Fibromyalgia, stroke or blood clots, heart disease, mood disorders, and diabetes.
There is another subset of people who have had significant reactions to the mRNA vaccines. According to Dr. Peter McCullough, the spike protein in mRNA vaccines, which is similar to the virus, causes an increase in the spike protein in blood, potentially producing blood clots. Medical professionals in the United States appear to have a difficult time comprehending that vaccines are not a “one-size-fits-all” solution.
Birmingham’s own Dr. Vaughn recently testified before Congress to as much in Washington, D.C. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also recently mandated that Pfizer and Moderna expand warning labels on their COVID-19 vaccines about the risk of possible cardiac injury linked to mRNA vaccines, primarily in teens and young men. This warning is just coming out FIVE YEARS LATER. Last week, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) finally removed the COVID-19 vaccine from the list of recommended shots for children and pregnant women.
With all the information we have gathered over the past few years, my question is this: When will the general practitioners and internists catch up? What will it take? What if my family didn’t have a Dr. Vaughn right around the corner to confer with?
If you’re a general practitioner and you’re not studying what long COVID is, you are failing your patients. If you are a physician and you are still pushing the mRNA vaccines, you are failing your patients.
COVID-19 is part of our new normal, like the flu or other respiratory viruses. That means long COVID will impact more people over time – more elderly, more middle-aged moms like me, and more young adults. That is why doctors like Vaughn and McCullough are so vital. They have studied this virus from the beginning. They spoke out against the vaccines, at professional peril, the minute they saw their patients experiencing adverse effects. Most physicians – and most people – fell for the hype of Dr. Anthony Fauci, the NIH, and the CDC hook, line and sinker. But some very principled physicians stood firm.
It is now more crucial than ever to find a doctor who is willing to treat the source of our ailments, rather than just put a band-aid over them. Find a doctor who listens, thinks outside the box, and is unwilling to always bow the knee to big pharma. Find a doctor who believes your physical symptoms are more than just anxiety.
Kristin Landers is a substitute teacher and freelance writer. Landers’ previous work includes serving as Communications Director for the Alabama Policy Institute and working for Citizens Against a Legalized Lottery (CALL) to defeat legalized gambling in the state of Alabama.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to [email protected].
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