EYECARE: Coronavirus BRIEFING: Crisis Response Tactics For Long COVID Parents, Everyday Life Is Still a Struggle By Staff Wednesday, May 10, 2023 7:59 AM Brooke Keaton, 42, of Charlotte, NC, has a back-up plan for the bad days. She calls them “her long COVID days” and when she has one, her husband knows she’s too fatigued to play with their two daughters, ages 12 and 5. “Instead of heading to the park, we’ll do a movie night where we make popcorn and snacks and get in our PJs. I try and still keep it fun even though I can’t do many of the things that I used to,” Keaton said. Keaton has had to make a lot of adjustments to her life since she was diagnosed with acute COVID-19 in December 2020. She recovered from a serious bout with the illness, but 8 weeks later she started having symptoms like shortness of breath and a racing heartbeat. Even doing the smallest tasks, like picking up her toddler, tired her out.Keaton is one of millions of parents dealing with long COVID. In all, 11% of Americans who contracted COVID have symptoms of long COVID, according to the CDC. A recent study published in the journal Nature found those over age 30 are the most likely to get long COVID, an age group that’s also most likely to be in the midst of parenthood.It’s left millions of Americans trying their best to balance childrearing with chronic illness. Head over to WebMD to read the full story.