Long Covid Day – time for a national strategy
‘‘ I have met people wheelchair bound, whose careers have been ended and quality of life devastated
I’d just settled down to a plate of leftovers and Christmas cheese on Boxing Day, when I realised after a few mouthfuls that I was tasting absolutely nothing.
I’d felt pretty grotty the night before and so I reached for the last remaining lateral flow test we had in the house. The positive line exploded into colour as soon as the reagent touched it. I had Covid again.
With no real plans and a houseful of food, there are worse times to come down with it, but I felt rotten. It hit me far harder than my first bout, perhaps because it’s much longer since my last booster. But on top of that it didn’t leave me for ages.
I’ve heard several people talk about the 100 day cough that comes with Covid these days; well I had that. My hearing was dulled and my sense of taste took ages to return. Fatigue dogged me every day and it is only now, on the threshold of Easter, that I feel fully clear of it.
I don’t count myself as a Long Covid sufferer, but taking so long to get shot of the virus has given me a renewed appreciation for over 180,000 Scots still battling that debilitating condition.
They are suffering on a daily basis and for many their symptoms are far more severe than anything I had to deal with.
I have met people (children and adults) who are now wheelchair bound, whose careers have been ended and whose quality of life devastated.
This Friday has been designated International Long Covid Awareness Day and as we mark it, it’s important to remember that there is so much more we could be doing to support those who are suffering it.
Those who’ve had it the longest, who got it in the first wave of the pandemic, are known as Long Haulers. All told, as we mark international Long Covid Day, each of them will be entering their fifth year of grappling with the condition. And yet, when it comes to giving them recognition and support, the Scottish Government are absolutely nowhere.
It's no hyperbole to say that every Scottish sufferer would be better off moving to England. The amount of money spent on the condition south of the Border is far greater than here. If you've got Long Covid in Scotland, the Scottish Government has allocated a mere £34 towards your treatment and care so far.
I want to see the Scottish Government adopting a comprehensive and fully funded Long Covid Strategy to support of our sufferers.