Long Covid clinic doctor says cases ‘almost overwhelming’

STAFF at St Luke’s Hospital in Bradford have described spending eight months dealing with the long-term effects for people who catch Covid-19 and are still suffering physical and psychological side effects.

A year into the global pandemic, one in 10 of people who catch Covid-19, will still be suffering physical and psychological side effects months later.

It’s been estimated that Long Covid – people having symptoms going on beyond 12 weeks – could cost the UK around £2.5bn a year.

And tonight a special behindthe-scenes report by Channel 4 will shine a light on the first Long Covid clinic in Yorkshire.

Last August Dr Paul Whitaker, a respiratory consultant for Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said he saw an “urgent need” to support his patients and he set up the first Long Covid clinic in Yorkshire at St Luke’s.

Bradford has seen some of the highest infection rates in the country, with one in 10 people contracting the disease.

High levels of the virus have in turn led to high rates of Long Covid and across the city there are predicted to be more than 4,000 people suffering with long-term symptoms.

Dr Whitaker said: “The number of people who have had Covid in the UK makes this an almost overwhelming problem.”

He said that after testing, people can have varying symptoms from scarring to the inability to absorb oxygen properly. Whereas for others less serious symptoms can include fatigue, loss of muscle strength and dysfunctional breathing.

Dr Whitaker added that for future treatment a lot more emphasis needed to be placed on the mental health recovery of Long Covid patients.

He reported that the prevalence for anxiety and depression was around 25 per cent at his clinic.