155,000 suffer after ministers ‘failed to tackle long Covid’

MINISTERS have been accused of failing to tackle long Covid, with 155,000 Scots, including thousands of children, now suffering from the debilitating condition.

The latest figures reveal cases of long Covid have doubled in the past year, including an estimated 9,000 children and young teenagers.

There are concerns that in the race to protect at-risk adults, Scotland did not do enough to stop children in schools from the worst effects of Covid.

The latest estimates are based on Office for National Statistics figures for April 4 to May 1. They show that nearly two in five Scots have had long Covid for at least two years.

According to the study, long Covid is estimated to be adversely affecting the day-to-day activities of around seven in ten sufferers, with around one in five saying their ability to undertake day-to-day activities has been ‘limited a lot’.

Long Covid is defined as symptoms that develop during or after an infection of Covid-19, continue for more than 12 weeks, and are not explained by an alternative diagnosis. Fatigue is cited as the common symptom followed by shortness of breath, a cough and muscle ache.

In total, there are around 155,000 Scots living with the condition, up from 87,000 a year ago.

The Scottish Government is spending £3million per year to support care for long Covid patients, but Helen Goss of the charity Long Covid Kids Scotland said: ‘The public health messaging around long Covid in children has been poor, and many parents and caregivers are unaware of just how debilitating this condition can be.’

A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘Services and support are being provided for those with long Covid and we are doing more to ensure care is resourced and delivered across Scotland.’