Jenene Crossan: Six months of life with Covid-19

By RNZ

New Zealand businesswoman Jenene Crossan became No. 37 on the list of confirmed coronavirus cases in this country in March, but she still suffers from associated health problems, not to mention “hardcore internet trolls,” six months later.

Having previously lived in London, Crossan, CEO of Powered by Flossie, a software system for beauty and hair companies, believes she contracted the virus at a crowded London Gatwick airport while returning to New Zealand via Doha.

Although she had no symptoms when she returned to Auckland, she had arranged to isolate herself at the family’s Coromandel bach, which she described as a shack with no electricity or running water.

Her symptoms started with a sore throat and caused a dry cough and a heavy chest, although she said she hadn’t had a fever; 24 hours later, he tested positive for Covid-19.

However, despite his subsequent recovery and the feeling that he had “recovered”, Crossan found himself going through a secondary relapse of symptoms related to his infection, but says he is “trying to bring a positive attitude to a very hard”.

Crossan previously suffered from inflammation problems related to endometriosis, but thought that his hysterectomy last year had solved this problem.

“But since Covid, he’s come back with a hiss and a roar,” he says, describing the feeling that his entire body has arthritis.

“When I get up from a chair, I look like an 85-year-old person. I creaked and my legs hurt and internally, that swelling is substantial, my body just rejects all kinds of different things.”

Even though he had cysts removed from his ovaries just six weeks ago, they were already growing back.

“I hadn’t necessarily connected the two together until I was operated on and that trauma created a relapse and that’s what the data from scientists has shown us now is that trauma creates a secondary relapse,” he said.

However, there were no signs that she was still infected with the coronavirus: “You are not contagious, but it seems that it triggers the cells that have been affected and causes your body to suffer a kind of Covid relapse again.”

His current tests showed he had a negative antibody at this point, but he was still learning what that meant.

“What it does say, and I was warned about this, is that after six months of exposure it is unlikely that you still have antibodies.

“And they hope that these early-stage antibodies, which develop after you’ve been infectious, can help other people.”

Crossan found continued support through Facebook groups, one internationally based with thousands of members and another local with only about 40 members.

“I can tell you, each person who joins, they all have the same reaction which is a feeling of relief because they do not feel alone and as isolated as before.”

The social networking site Twitter was also a source of support for her, despite the occasional troll.

“I’m going to yell at the Twitterverse, they’ve been amazing,” he said.

“Maybe it’s because I’m so good at the lock button, but it also seems like somehow I have a couple of guardian angels on Twitter who have gone on some kind of crusade to keep me safe from hardcore trolls.”

Despite his health problems, Crossan continued to do business with his company in London, but despite understanding why others would want the economy to start over, he urged caution.

“I think we should work more with what we call the circular economy … which should be where, of course, not just the 1% thrive, but all people can thrive.”

“We have a long road ahead for all of us, and the economy is nothing without people.”

While he hoped to feel better eventually, Crossan said, “in the back of my head, I’m a little afraid I’m not.”

“I say this, possibly in the wake of a difficult week in which … I feel a bit beaten up and there may be things here that I could have learned to live with for the rest of my life.”

– RNZ