Long COVID and Its Symptom Squad Take Center Stage in Pima Health Comic

The Pima County Health Department has unveiled a unique campaign aimed at raising awareness about Long COVID. This initiative features a comic book, with a main character set to appear at Tucson Comic-Con this weekend.

The campaign’s goal is to improve understanding of the long-term health complications linked to COVID-19. By utilizing comic book-style storytelling, the department aims to make the subject matter more relatable. Attendees at Tucson Comic-Con, running from Friday, August 30 to Sunday, September 1, can visit the campaign booth located near the tabletop gaming area. The character representing Long COVID will also be available for photo opportunities.

“COVID brings a certain fatigue along with it,” explained Cassandra Greer, a spokesperson for the health department. “Many people have grown tired of discussing it. Initially, it was a traumatic experience, and now it’s a topic that often gets ignored.”

Greer emphasized the importance of starting conversations about this illness to continue educating the community. Common symptoms associated with Long COVID include brain fog, chest pain, fatigue, dizziness, depression, anxiety, and difficulty breathing. “We want to bring attention back to Long COVID because it can be quite debilitating,” Greer noted, adding that recent studies suggest about six percent of those infected with COVID-19 may develop Long COVID symptoms.

The comic portrays Long COVID and the “Sons of Illness,” representing various symptoms as gang members engaging in humorous misadventures. “We thought introducing the topic in a comedic way might help break through the apathy surrounding discussions about COVID,” Greer said. “We aim for people to relate to the content and learn from it. However, our primary message is that vaccination is crucial.”

Visual storytelling helps simplify complex topics like Long COVID, according to Greer. The project resulted from collaboration between the Pima County Communications Office and the Health Department. “We took guidance from the CDC and infused each health message into an engaging narrative,” she added. The comic features the character of Long COVID as a “couch surfer,” who initially appears temporarily but ends up overstaying his welcome.

This campaign is not just an internal effort; it also collaborates with the University of Arizona’s CoVHORT research and surveillance study. The illustrations were crafted by Chiara Bautista Carpena, a graphic designer for the county. “We have weekly meetings to discuss messaging and how best to present it visually,” Bautista said.

According to Bautista, the design style was chosen to facilitate easy interaction on social media. “We needed something that would catch attention quickly and convey the message in a single post,” she explained.

Long COVID will make an appearance at the Tucson Comic-Con for photos. Greer stressed that the use of humor is not intended to undermine the seriousness of Long COVID. “We’re leveraging comedy and storytelling to make the topic more approachable. Our intention is to raise awareness so that more people understand what Long COVID truly entails,” she stated.