Physics Girl Continues to Battle Health Issues — How Fans Can Best Support Her

The Gist:

• Physic Girl contracted long COVID which causes chronic fatigue.
• She hasn't been well enough to make content regularly.
• Fans can still support her through her Patreon, but she won't be making content.

YouTuber Dianna Cowern is better known online as "Physics Girl" for her educational content on various scientific topics and interesting phenomena. She started her channel in 2011 and gained over 3 million followers to date. Dianna became such a success that she signed on to a partnership with PBS for five years.

As TikTok grew into relevancy online, she also fostered a community there which only furthered her reach and quest to educate the masses. While Physics Girl mostly stuck to her scientific content, fans occasionally got a glimpse into her personal life.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Dianna became ill. By 2022, she was diagnosed with long COVID which caused a myriad of health complications. The following year, she was hospitalized as her health continued to deteriorate.

Throughout the year, her social media was kept up to date, but mostly by her loved ones. Her husband, friends, and editor kept the platforms active and kept fans informed. One major symptom of long COVID is chronic fatigue which made Dianna struggle to perform her own tasks and maintain her own online presence.

"It's been over a year since she got sick and she will still crash from any minor mental or physical stress. These crashes are the result of her severe MCAS and ME/CFS," Diana's editor wrote in August 2023. MCAS is a mast cell disorder that causes anaphylaxis, typically known as an allergic reaction. ME/CFS refers to mlyalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

"Dianna still doesn't consume anything that is potentially overstimulating for her mind. She doesn't watch movies, read books, or listen to music," her editor continued. Her loved ones explained that some weeks are worse than others, but they try to keep spirits high.

In early December 2023, a reassuring update was made. While a slow process, Physics Girl was recovering, according to her doctor. However, she experienced a difficult setback and "crash" which put her through a period of decline. "So though it’s hard for all of us to stay positive when it seems like she’s barely getting better, it’s important to remember that long setbacks are a part of the slow recovery," her editor wrote.

At the time, her editor explained that Dianna hadn't left her bed since she was too weak. Her husband has been her caretaker throughout her long COVID and those around her do their best to support her.

Later that month, Destin from SmarterEveryDay uploaded a video to the Physic Girl YouTube channel. He gave fans his firsthand explanation of what was happening behind the scenes.

Destin explained just how sick and exhausted Dianna is. Plus, he made it clear that her husband is doing an excellent job in helping her through this. "He was giving her agency over everything. Dianna made the decisions. She called the shots," Destin said.

According to Destin, Dianna was highly concerned about her Patreon. Fans can subscribe on the website and, in exchange, typically receive exclusive content. However, while she has been ill, that hasn't been easy for Dianna. She didn't feel that it was right to expect fans to pay for nothing.

Destin relayed the message to fans: "She wanted me to tell you that if this isn't what you signed up for then thank you so much for the support you've given her, but she totally understands if this isn't something you're willing to support."

He expressed to Dianna that she and her husband should use the funds from Patreon to get a living space that's more in line with what they are currently dealing with. Destin felt this was only fair and stressed to fans that while she typically uploads content, right now her job is to get better. Fans can subscribe to Patreon as a way to support Dianna if they want to.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Dianna, her family, and her team as she continues to work on her health.