Keep the cash coming for the long Covid clinics

At first many people refused to believe them. They thought they were probably shirkers. They were put in the same category as those now known to suffer chronic fatigue syndrome or ME, but who were originally dubbed ‘skivers’.

Thankfully those days, largely, are behind us, but the condition known as ‘long Covid’ is having a debilitating effect on people’s lives and stories of being left exhausted after even a short walk are now common. Just like those affecting Lisa Brown from Fareham.

A year ago few of us were talking about Covid – it was all ‘coronavirus’ – let alone the form that could go on and on and…

But the medical and scientific community has achieved miracles in so many ways in the past 12 months that the condition is now not only recognised but also is attracting funding to help those poleaxed by it.

So far, the focus has been on saving lives in the pandemic, but there is now a growing recognition that people like Lisa are facing long-term consequences of a Covid infection. Yet even basic questions – such as why people get long Covid or whether everyone will fully recover – are riddled with uncertainty.

There is no medical definition or list of symptoms shared by all patients – two people with long Covid can have very different experiences. However, the most common feature is crippling fatigue.

Mental health problems have been reported including depression, anxiety and struggling to think clearly. It can utterly destroy people's quality of life.

Lisa speaks in glowing terms about the six long Covid clinics set up in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight to help sufferers like her. Funding has been guaranteed for a further year.

But we hope enough money is provided by the government to keep them going long-term as we suspect the effects of this condition will leave a scar on society for years to come.