‘It’s too early to relax the rules’

Donna Rowland, 47, from

Derby has been battling Long Covid since last summer. She says, “In August, I suddenly felt wiped out, then developed a raging thirst and fever. A test confirmed I had Covid. My partner Pete, 52, daughter Amber, 16, and son Lincoln, nine, tested positive too and we all had headaches and no energy. Pete and the kids gradually improved, but on day 10 I felt stabbing chest pains. I went to A&E, where blood tests revealed there was a dangerous clot somewhere in my body.

“Terrified, I was given bloodthinning injections for six days and, to my relief, the clot dispersed. But just hanging out the washing left me bedridden for two hours.

“By September, I was still too ill to return to my bakery job. My body constantly ached and my energy levels were so low,

I’d drop the kids at school, then crash out and set an alarm, so I didn’t miss pick up. If I overdid it, my temperature spiked and I’d shake uncontrollably.

“That October, my GP diagnosed me with Long Covid, but the only treatment he could suggest was multivitamins. Thankfully my sick pay kept us financially secure, but being so unwell affected me emotionally. I longed to take the kids to the park and even missed Amber’s 16th birthday celebrations.

“Before Covid I’d walk 20,000 steps a day, but that suddenly plummeted to around 1,000 and I gained over a stone. Thankfully, my energy levels did pick up in December and

I’m now managing to work three days a week. My voice is coming back too, but I have to be careful not to overdo it. I suffer terrible pins and needles – last week I fell over, because

I’d lost the sensation in my feet. I had both vaccinations before I caught Covid and since I’ve had the booster. But I’m so worried about getting Covid again, especially now that masks aren’t mandatory.

"It’s too early to relax the rules – the government should have waited. I keep my distance from people where I can but last week I felt so anxious I ended up leaving work early. Cases are still very high and it’s unnecessary to expose people to the risks.”