37,000 Scots suffering long Covid symptoms for more than a year

MORE than 37,000 Scots have been suffering with long Covid for more than a year.

Data from the Office for National Statistics shows 67,000 have experienced the illness for at least 12 weeks. A further 37,000 said the condition has continued for over 12 months, pushing the total number of long Covid victims past 100,000.

Common symptoms include tiredness, loss of taste or smell, shortness of breath, difficulty concentrating and muscle aches. Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland, which supports sufferers, labelled the estimates ‘really worrying’, and urged the Government to do more to link up services.

Chief executive of the charity, Jane-Claire Judson, said: ‘People who were once fit and healthy are telling us they’re struggling to get out of bed, look after children or even walk to end of their street. We need to make sure that people have far better access to long Covid support.’

The Scottish Government said the NHS continues to deliver a range of services to support long Covid patients, backed by a £10million support fund.