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'I went for a McDonald's McFlurry – what happened next nearly killed me'
Hanna Newnham, 27, from Brighton, first noticed symptoms of cold urticaria - hives that appear after cold temperature exposure - after recovering from Covid-19 in 2020
A woman who went for a McDonald's Mcflurry was left unable unable to breathe – and had no idea why. Hanna Newman, 27, developed a rare cold allergy after Covid-19 which leaves her unable to drink chilled beverages or exercise outdoors in winter, but she had no idea until the McFlurry gave her an anaphylaxis attack.
She later found out that she had something known as cold urticaria, and it might be more common than most think. A study published in open-access journal Nature Communications in April 2024 claims to show "comprehensive evidence for the association between SARS-CoV-2 infection and subsequent incident allergic outcomes".
Hanna started experiencing progressively worse cold-exposure symptoms including angioedema (facial swelling) and anaphylaxis, which causes her throat to constrict, leaving her struggling to breathe.
Despite being given extreme doses of antihistamines, steroids and an EpiPen, her issues are getting worse, and is waiting to find out if she'll be given medication called XOLAIR - or omalizumab - costing a whopping £6,000 per week for six weeks on the NHS.
Now, she's queued up for a chinwag with an immunologist on the NHS docket and is crossing her fingers for XOLAIR (omalizumab) treatment, though it's a hefty £6,000 every six weeks.
In the meantime, given the role exercise has played in her 500-day sobriety journey, Hanna is determined to continue staying fit – despite the fact her own sweat or cold air from a treadmill at the gym can trigger an attack.
"Even if my throat closes, I'll keep working out – no one can stop me," Hanna told PA Real Life.
Her first anaphylaxis attack was triggered by the McDonald's milkshake and a McFlurry in December 2020, both now off-limits foodstuffs along with coconut Little Moons, which she misses.
After consuming the McDonald's items, she had an itchy throat, cough and throat closure – but did not know what it was at the time.
"Especially when people are getting Deliveroos I have to be like 'I can't eat ice cream'," she said.
"I'm thinking all the time about what I can and can't eat which is annoying."
Over the last four years, Hanna's reaction to the cold has worsened – with cold air from treadmills, cold water from the fridge, and even her own sweat triggering attacks.
Despite the obstacles, Hanna remains determined to live as normally as possible. She has adapted her exercise routine to include more at-home workouts like yoga, gymnastics and even Just Dance on an old Wii Fit.
“I’ve got so much energy, that’s why I work with kids,” she said. “I’m always running about, and now I have nothing to put that energy into.”
While she waits for a specialist appointment, Hanna is holding out for warmer weather.
She is ultimately hoping to be prescribed XOLAIR on the NHS, an injectable prescription medicine used to treat chronic spontaneous urticaria.
Daily Star Sunday
Hanna Newnham, 27, from Brighton, first noticed symptoms of cold urticaria - hives that appear after cold temperature exposure - after recovering from Covid-19 in 2020
A woman who went for a McDonald's Mcflurry was left unable unable to breathe – and had no idea why. Hanna Newman, 27, developed a rare cold allergy after Covid-19 which leaves her unable to drink chilled beverages or exercise outdoors in winter, but she had no idea until the McFlurry gave her an anaphylaxis attack.
She later found out that she had something known as cold urticaria, and it might be more common than most think. A study published in open-access journal Nature Communications in April 2024 claims to show "comprehensive evidence for the association between SARS-CoV-2 infection and subsequent incident allergic outcomes".
Hanna started experiencing progressively worse cold-exposure symptoms including angioedema (facial swelling) and anaphylaxis, which causes her throat to constrict, leaving her struggling to breathe.
Despite being given extreme doses of antihistamines, steroids and an EpiPen, her issues are getting worse, and is waiting to find out if she'll be given medication called XOLAIR - or omalizumab - costing a whopping £6,000 per week for six weeks on the NHS.
Now, she's queued up for a chinwag with an immunologist on the NHS docket and is crossing her fingers for XOLAIR (omalizumab) treatment, though it's a hefty £6,000 every six weeks.
In the meantime, given the role exercise has played in her 500-day sobriety journey, Hanna is determined to continue staying fit – despite the fact her own sweat or cold air from a treadmill at the gym can trigger an attack.
"Even if my throat closes, I'll keep working out – no one can stop me," Hanna told PA Real Life.
Her first anaphylaxis attack was triggered by the McDonald's milkshake and a McFlurry in December 2020, both now off-limits foodstuffs along with coconut Little Moons, which she misses.
After consuming the McDonald's items, she had an itchy throat, cough and throat closure – but did not know what it was at the time.
"Especially when people are getting Deliveroos I have to be like 'I can't eat ice cream'," she said.
"I'm thinking all the time about what I can and can't eat which is annoying."
Over the last four years, Hanna's reaction to the cold has worsened – with cold air from treadmills, cold water from the fridge, and even her own sweat triggering attacks.
Despite the obstacles, Hanna remains determined to live as normally as possible. She has adapted her exercise routine to include more at-home workouts like yoga, gymnastics and even Just Dance on an old Wii Fit.
“I’ve got so much energy, that’s why I work with kids,” she said. “I’m always running about, and now I have nothing to put that energy into.”
While she waits for a specialist appointment, Hanna is holding out for warmer weather.
She is ultimately hoping to be prescribed XOLAIR on the NHS, an injectable prescription medicine used to treat chronic spontaneous urticaria.
Daily Star Sunday