A “reluctant†Lena Dunham has revealed that she experienced a long battle with the coronavirus after testing positive for the virus in mid-March. Posting to her Instagram on July 31, the Girls creator recapped her lingering COVID-19 symptoms in an opus titled “My Covid Story.†It began with achy joints, not unlike Dunham’s “usual diagnoses†from her various illnesses (which includes Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and endometriosis), but it soon transformed into “impossible, crushing fatigue†and a high fever. “Suddenly my body simply revolted,†she wrote. “The nerves in my feet burned and muscles wouldn’t seem to do their job. My hands were numb. I couldn’t tolerate loud noises. I couldn’t sleep but I couldn’t wake up. I lost my sense of taste and smell. A hacking cough, like a metronome keeping time. Inability to breathe after simple tasks like getting a glass of water. Random red rashes. A pounding headache right between my eyes.†These symptoms went on for 21 days, or “days that blended into each other like a rave gone wrong.â€
Dunham was never hospitalized during her COVID-19 ordeal, instead being treated at home by a private doctor. She tested negative for the virus after a month of symptoms, although she’s still experiencing health issues that have yet to subside — including swollen hands and feet, migraines, arthritis, and fatigue. “Even as a chronically ill person, I had never felt this way,†she added. “To be clear, I did not have these particular issues before I got sick with this virus … the serious long-term health consequences of a COVID-19 infection are something doctors are learning more about every hour.â€
Several other celebrities, in addition to Dunham, have been open and candid about their coronavirus experiences. Most recently they have included Bryan Cranston, Doja Cat, Anna Camp, and international treasure Tom Hanks.