VANCOUVER -- It took Mahi Etminan eight weeks to overcome COVID-19.
Now, the registered Vancouver nurse is warning the public of the crushing recovery period, and unexpected side effects of the deadly disease.
Etminan said COVID-19 was far worse than a bad cold, and nothing like the flu. Instead, she said it felt like something was ripping her up from inside.
"The pain is not localized in one area," she told CTV News Vancouver. "It comes from inside and it goes through all your body."
She’s since fully recovered, however, the nurse is now dealing with the aftermath of her battle with the coronavirus-caused illness – hair loss.
"I noticed that I had a lot of hair on the floor, and that was very new to me," Etminan said.
She says her hair would "come out in chunks" after washing, and noticed thinning locks and bald spots when she inspected in the mirror.
"My scalp was very irritated and hot at all times," she said.
Etminan is not alone either though; months after the first coronavirus outbreak more and more people have been reporting that same condition.
Researchers have not yet identified the precise cause of the side-effect, though some theorize that COVID-19 produces such a shock to the system that nutrients normally used to maintain healthy hair were being diverted by the body to fight the virus.
It's another puzzle for scientists to put together in the ever-evolving fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile Etminan is urging everyone to wear a mask, saying if you do not enjoy the feeling of a face covering, you certainly will not enjoy the feeling of a ventilator.
"I put it this way. It’s a very lonely disease. It’s a disease that nobody can be near you."
