‘There are people all over Wales struggling with the effects of long Covid’
PEOPLE with long Covid are experiencing a “huge range” of symptoms many months after catching the virus, a new survey has found.
Asthma UK & British Lung Foundation Wales, in conjunction with Long Covid Wales, carried out a poll involving people who had contracted Covid-19 since the pandemic began to better understand the long-term health implications.
They found that more than threequarters (75%) of respondents said the virus had impacted upon their work, exercise and daily activities, while almost two-thirds (60%) admitted their symptoms were so severe they had not been able to work or have had to reduce their regular hours.
The symptoms of long Covid were wide-ranging but the most common in the poll included fatigue, brain fog, and shortness of breath.
Meanwhile nearly a third (30%) of people who took part have not been formally diagnosed with the condition despite discussing it with a healthcare professional.
Even more worrying is the fact 33% said they had been directly turned away from accessing care.
The survey also took a look at the situation faced by people suffering from long Covid based upon where they lived and their local health board.
Overall, it found that people faced a mixed bag when trying to access care, with more than half (50%) currently receiving no care.
However, it also found that when people were able to access care, more than 80% found that it was adequate to their needs – raising concerns about the pathway to treatment through which people with the condition go to access support.
The data also seems to suggest that Aneurin Bevan Health Board currently has the best pathway for diagnosis of long Covid, and that the nature of care received also varies hugely by health board.
Commenting on the findings Joseph Carter, Head of Asthma UK & the British Lung Foundation Wales, said:
“This survey clearly shows that when it comes to long Covid there is still a long way to go to ensure everyone gets the support they need. What we know about this condition is changing quickly, so we must ensure our health services adapt to reflect the reality.
“Far too many people are struggling to access even a diagnosis for the condition, never mind getting access to the care they need to get better. With a wide range of symptoms being reported we are concerned many people are going without treatment due to a failure to accurately diagnose the condition.
“On top of this, our survey also found that people’s outcomes and access to support varies widely by health board. This highlights the urgent need for a joined-up approach to develop a distinct long Covid pathway, so we can ensure no-one is being left behind without help.
“We know that this condition affects every single aspect of a person’s life for many months after their first catch the virus. That’s why it’s vital we up our game and do more to support those living with this condition.”
Georgia Walby, who helped establish Long Covid Wales after developing the condition early last year, added:
“Like me, there are people all over Wales struggling with the effects of long Covid. GPs are overburdened as it is and as the survey shows the GP referral system is failing many long Covid sufferers.
“People who have been ill for many months need healthcare quickly so that they can return to work. Many people are struggling financially due to being off work for so long and those who have reached one year of illness face losing their jobs now.
“It’s a situation which needs urgent attention in order to reduce the ongoing suffering of so many people across Wales. Long Covid Wales is campaigning for specialist clinics so that sufferers can get health concerns properly investigated and allow doctors to learn more about this disease.”
Earlier this month the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which conducted its own Covid-19 infection survey over the four-week period ending March 6, revealed that around 56,000 people in Wales had reported experiencing long Covid.
Their study found that prevalence of long Covid was higher for women who participated in the survey (14.7%) than men (12.7%) and was highest among those aged 25 to 34 (18.2%).
Across the whole of the UK, the analysis found that an estimated 1.1 million people had long Covid,
including 932,000 in England, 79,000 in Scotland and 26,000 in Northern Ireland.
Some 697,000 people had been suffering with side-effects for at least 12 weeks. This duration extended to beyond six months for 473,000 people and one year for 70,000 people.
In a written statement last month, Health Minister Vaughan Gething said the Welsh Government was working alongside the other UK nations to look at “shared priorities and areas for collaboration on long Covid”.
In February, NHS chief executive Andrew Goodall wrote to all health boards to outline the ‘all-Wales community pathway’ for long Covid based on NICE guidelines.
Meanwhile the NHS Wales Covid Recovery App, launched on January 20, also supports anyone recovering from the long-term impact of the condition.
“All health boards continue to work closely with their GP practices and community services to evolve their local pathways for timely access to the right professional or integrated service for each individual,” said Mr Gething.
“My officials and health boards are engaging with patient support groups to listen to people’s experiences. This insight is helping to identify and shape what further improvements are needed.
“By the end of March, all GP practice systems will have the codes for recording people with long-Covid.
“This important data, together with the ongoing research, will inform future local service planning and delivery.”