The Smeaton farmer and snowboard manufacturer, then 47, was travelling back from the US in March last year, as early rumblings about a pandemic were emerging.

When he got home, he tested positive for SARS-COV-2, which had just been renamed to COVID-19.

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Now, more than a year later, he said the symptoms he's been feeling since have fallen away.

"Generally, I'd say I've been very slowly improving," he said.

"I don't feel too bad, I've had some pretty good days where I've felt clear all day.

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"In a general sense I'm feeling a bit better - hopefully, when things warm up again, I'll be back to proper normality again."

Back in March, he self-isolated on his farm, before any hotel quarantine arrangements were in place, for 23 days.

While at the time, he had a terrible cough, and experienced intense fever, at one stage coughing up blood, some of the symptoms stayed with him for months afterwards.

The Courier last checked in with Mr Evans in February, they had begun to alleviate - the shortness of breath, and coughing up gunk, had not left.

It's still a months-long journey of recovery, not helped by Mr Evans' pre-existing asthma.

He has not been vaccinated yet, he said, but is hoping to get a jab soon.

"I've heard good things about people who have had COVID in the past, and it's helped with some of their lingering medical conditions, that it's brought about some sort of resolution (but) there doesn't seem to be any real research into that as yet," he said.

"There are a few Facebook groups I follow, mainly US-based, but a lot of people have said after they'd had vaccinations, they'd had things clear up a bit, but it's hard to say."

He's looking forward to getting back to the snow, after missing two seasons, and said the mental effects of lockdown were beginning to kick in more than the physical COVID symptoms.

"It's tough on everyone in a mental sense," he said.

"I'm in the business of manufacturing snowboards and we can't get out to test materials, and for me personally, it makes it difficult, and it makes you feel a bit down and out.

"Even the kids sport, they're all missing out again and it's a tough one for them."

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To help the entire community, he added, better quarantine facilities and a revamped vaccination program was desperately needed.

"In these more rural areas, getting vaccinated is not as easy if you've working or you're on a farm, maybe they need to make it a bit more mobile, bring it to some more rural areas outside of Ballarat and Bendigo, bring it to Daylesford or Creswick even for half a day, go to the Smeaton Bowling Club and get everyone done," he said.

"It would make it easier if you made it more accessible for people in these areas to get it done."

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