After a mild COVID infection in the summer of 2021, I developed debilitating fatigue and orthostatic intolerance that made it impossible to continue life as normal. Little did I know until then that post-infectious conditions had always existed, and are amongst the most disabling and life-altering illnesses that people live with. 

 

Navigating the healthcare system to find support and treatments, dealing with the reality of the situation and maintaining hope during such a trying time was made easier by joining online communities for long COVID. These communities, while invaluable, left me thinking that a more cohesive, personalised and bespoke experience was needed. That’s how NURA was born. 

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Each person’s experience of their illness is unique. NURA connects the dots and allows users to join sub-communities based on interest and need, curate the content they see, and meet like-minded people. Experiences and information can be shared in an intimate, supportive environment, built with people at its heart.

I’m an experienced product design engineer and have a background in innovating and optimising consumer products for real-world applications. Being part of an impact-driven project around an illness affecting millions of people has been humbling, and creating solutions to bring greater support and build community for people is key while we await medical advancements. 
 

Long COVID is a major public health crisis, but we’ve known about ME/CFS and post-viral conditions for a long time, and yet the low levels of funding and research that go into them mean that effective treatments still don’t exist. We are optimistic about the research that’s now beginning to happen, but it’s not enough, and help is needed now. 
 

NURA Community is the first step on our journey to change things, and I’m excited to continue our efforts to improve healthcare and support for people living with long COVID and ME/CFS.