Annette Reece hasn't taken a single breath for granted since the day she was born, 81 years ago.
"I've wheezed all my life," Reece said.
"I was born with asthma."
Then about 12 years ago, Reece inhaled and realised something was different.
"It was like an asthma attack but without the wheezing."
At first, Reece did not think the situation was serious but thought it would be best to see her doctor.
"I didn't know it was so bad until I got to the doctors and they threw me on the nebuliser."
Reece was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD, an inflammatory lung disease that causes restricted airflow in the lungs.
Reece wanted to share her experiences with COPD to raise awareness about the condition and to encourage people of all ages to look after their lungs, particularly as Covid-19 continues to spread through the community.
"It's good for people to know how to look after themselves."
Her story comes after deputy director general of health Dr Andrew Old said Covid-19 hospitalisations were on the rise.
On Wednesday, Dr Old warned that cases over summer could peak at over 11,000 a day and 100 hospital admissions daily, mirroring the second Omicron wave in July.
At the Covid-19 national update Dr Old and Ministry of Health chief science advisor Dr Ian Town encouraged New Zealanders to think of the more vulnerable members of society.
As an 81-year-old and a person with COPD, Reece falls into that category.
"Of course, Covid-19 worries me," Reece said.
"I had a bad dose of flu a few months ago and it took me three weeks for me to feel better before I got over it."
Reece said she has not had Covid-19 and does not want to get the virus ever.
"I've had all the jabs and everything you can think of. I've worn masks, washed my hands and all that sort of thing.
"I was very careful about where I went and took all the precautions."
Reece said she put a lot of effort into looking after herself and managing her COPD but the condition still took its toll.
"Sometimes walking too fast up the passage or going out in the cold wind gets me too. What used to take five minutes now can take me about an hour," Reece said.
Reece said over the past two years a lot of the community groups she had been involved with had at various times stopped their activities to protect community members.
The Kawerau resident and mother-of-two usually umpires outdoor bowls, volunteers for multiple community groups and knits avidly for charity.
On top of all that, Reece has been a swimming coach since 1974.
"Swimming has been good for my breathing," Reece said.
"It teaches you diaphragmatic breathing so that the air doesn't just go to the top of your chest. The air needs to get down to the bottom of your lungs."
Reece returned to the pools on Thursday night to coach swimmers in the 2022/2023 season. She'll be in the water at least four times a week.
"My favourite part of it is teaching the young ones. Down at the pool here they start at about five years old.
"The youngest I've ever taught was three months old and the oldest was an elderly couple that turned 70."
In the water, Reece said she concentrated on her breathing.
"COPD does limit you to what you can do but the thing is you're breathless not helpless."
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Asthma and Respiratory Foundation New Zealand medical director Dr James Fingleton said for many people with serious respiratory conditions like COPD Covid-19 has been very stressful.
"Any respiratory infection risks causing more permanent damage to their lungs," Fingleton said.
"We have heard for this reason, some people with COPD have stopped going out and become more isolated, to protect themselves from Covid.
"Unfortunately in some cases that means that they have stopped attending exercise and support groups which are really important to ongoing management of their condition."
What is COPD?
COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) is an umbrella term for emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and chronic asthma.
How many Kiwis have COPD?
At least 200,000 or around 15% of Kiwis over 45 have COPD. However many cases go undiagnosed.
How serious is COPD?
Even with under-reporting, COPD is still the fourth leading cause of death after ischaemic heart disease, stroke and lung cancer.
Source: Asthma and Respiratory Foundation New Zealand