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70-year-old Valley man is part of national 'long-COVID' study for those who aren't catching a break

He's participating in a nationwide study of Americans who simply can't sidestep symptoms even after heeding many medical recommendations and precautions.

ARIZONA, USA — As cases of COVID-19 surge in some parts of the country, researchers are studying signs and symptoms of what's known as "long COVID." It focuses on circumstances where a patient experiences lasting effects of the virus or continues to test positive.

One Valley man is now part of a nationwide study of Americans who simply can't sidestep symptoms even after heeding many medical recommendations and precautions. Steve Schumacher says, he was ready and willing to roll up his sleeve for the first wave of vaccines back in Spring 2021.

"I noticed a walk through Costco was a real adventure. I thought, 'what the heck is going on, so I went to the doctor and sure enough, I had COVID again. Even though I was among maybe the first 10,000 in Phoenix to get the second vaccine and then when boosters came out, I was right there and got the booster and even with all that, I got COVID in January, again in March and then now," he explained.

Prior to being diagnosed with these three positive cases of COVID just this year, the 70-year-old had a very active lifestyle. Schumacher was running marathons and made fitness a part of his everyday life, until recently.

"My first indication was in January, I was taking a tour with some colleagues at the State Capitol and the tour guide had us go up two small flights of stairs and I was winded, I had to put my hand against the wall to stabilize myself. I had my lungs checked, I saw a cardiologist, and I did a stress test, and they said 'we didn't find anything. Your heart is in great shape, your lungs are in great shape, it's this COVID, the symptoms, the after-effects,' I thought I can't be the only one."

Since February, he's been an active participant in the study known as "Recover." It's a $470 million grant awarded to the National Institute of Health. It focuses on "long COVID" and why some people, even those who are vaccinated and boosted, aren't catching a break. 

Schumacher hopes the collection of clinical data, lab tests and analyses of patients in different phases will begin to show patterns that'll provide answers to participants like himself.

"There are other people who are stressed and anxious and they're not getting answers from physicians because it's new to them too. I'm a case and if people can get value from it and I help figure out an answer then that's good, but I'm getting a little diagnosis of my own situation and hopefully contributing to the overall good that will come out of this study."

Interested volunteers: https://recovercovid.org/

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