We are only just begining to understand impact of Long Covid. We need to do it quicker

One in 20 Scots is suffering from long-term Covid effects. That was

the grim finding of the Covid in Scotland report published on Wednesday.

The research was based on the experiences of nearly 100,000 people. Six per cent of those suffering from Long Covid hadn’t recovered at all and more than 40% said they had only partially recovered.

Elsewhere, in The Post today, concerns are raised for young people affected.

I interviewed the chair of the group Long Covid Scotland and she explained how debilitating her symptoms were. Jane Ormerod was active and healthy before she contracted the virus in the first wave and never fully got back to normal.

Her activities have

been severely limited by the condition and it’s had a profound effect on her life: “It’s as if someone has turned my battery off.”

The former nurse believes people with Long Covid feel like “a forgotten tribe”. Her group is calling for a more uniform approach to treatment across Scotland.

Most importantly, she wants urgency brought to the situation. This virus has brought a terrible legacy and lives are still being ruined. What sufferers desperately need is hope their situation can improve.