I am on the Jeremy Vine show in BBC Radio 2 at 13.00 today. Usually this means I am discussing something to do with the economy. Today that's not the case. I will be discussing long Covid.
I went into Radio 2 for the Autumn Statement three weeks ago. I have known Jeremy for more than a decade now and he was surprised I was wearing a medical grade mask. I explained my risk aversion, suggesting that as I already have long Covid I was very keen not to get another batch of Covid itself if I could avoid it.
Jeremy and his producer were both interested and concerned and realised that long Covid was an issue they had not addressed on air and so asked me if I would mind sharing my experience with them.
I am today completing my second batch of antibiotics since seeing them three weeks ago, and this episode has been worse than most, although now seems to be improving (thankfully). I am, of course, also aware that I am not as badly impacted as some, for whom it is is much more disabling.
That word disabling is, however, appropriate. My body's inability to fight off a nasty sinusitis has left me operating at well below par for months now. I have been able to work, but not as much as I wanted. If I had been required to be at work for a fixed eight hour day I would, however, have found that very hard: most days I am still needing to take a rest to simply restore enough energy to keep going. Some employers would have little sympathy with that.
There are real issues here about recognising this issue, the impact it has on individuals and that some of them will need support, and that fact that maybe a quarter of the estimated 2 million sufferers seem to have withdrawn from working.
I do not pretend to be an expert. I do not have all the answers. But I do think there is a real issue here, so I agreed to talk about it.
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Hi Richard,
Get well soon. What you’re going through doesn’t sound very pleasant at all. As some experts have pointed out recently, a healthy workforce is intimately connected to the health of the economy, so you will be discussing economics, even if that isn’t Jeremy Vine’s focus directly.
Best,
Ralph
Agreed, and thanks
Danny Altmann’s piece in the Guardian may help – although a few months ago.
Good luck
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/apr/16/vaccines-long-covid-science?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
Thanks
An issue close to my heart. Feel free to share my experience (anonymised please) when interviewed if you wish and think it will contribute to the debate.
I had Covid in November 2020. I was practically bedridden for a week but fortunately was not hospitsalised though it was touch and go at one point. Whilst my condition has improved since then I have been left with a 35% loss of lung capacity, peripheral neuropathy in both arms and both feet and some short term memory issues. I was told by the long covid clinic in February this year that it is likely that this is my “new baseline” i.e. I’m not going to get any better. The respiratory problems cause me many problems and the neuropathy in my feet is painful and causes balance problems. I have had a few stumbles and falls. I can no longer walk or stand for more than about 20-30 mins.
Like yourself, I consider myself fortunate not to worse affected. As a software enginneer who works from home, my work life has not been much affected. I am still able to work and earn a living. I do not suffer from the “brain fog” or fatigue which are common symptoms reported by long covid sufferers. In my personal life it means I can no longer do the hiking/mountain biking/kayaking that I used to and everyday tasks around the house can leave me gasping for breath which I can control through breathing exercises so is more an annoying experience than a distressing one that it once was.
It annoys me when I hear the likes of Rees-Mogg insisting that people get back to the office. I’m not sure I could work if I had to do that commute. It also annoys me about the lack of funding for the NHS in general and long covid in particular. I have had one appointment with the long covid clinic and that was in February this year, 15 months after I initially contracted the disease. I was also told that pulmonary rehab may help a little but probably not much. I’m still waiting for that appointment. I’m not holding my breath!
I hope you feel better soon and can make a full recovery.
Regards
Thanks for sharing
I am sorry to hear that
Thankfully I have not had brain fog (odd occasions apart) but like you have had to reduce my physical activity, which is annoying
The fatigue is real
Good luck
Well, I’ve a bout of sinusitis now – I usually get it with a bad a cold and this bout makes me feel as though I’ve got two blacks eyes. So swollen is my face that it is pressing on my tear ducts so my eyes are watery too. It’s very unpleasant. I did not think it possible that the human body could produce so much bodily fluid all at the same time!
And how did I get this? Because a colleague came to work with a cold and thought it OK to do so, or was he just at work because he could not afford to heat his home? The air conditioning did the rest.
We’ve still got a lot to learn so you keep wearing your mask because I’m going back to wear mine. Lesson learnt.
I value your opinion immensely but sad to hear you too suffer LC. I have been suffering since March 20 and my normal life has been devastated by it.
Thanks for using your position to raise awareness and hope you recover
I decided I had to do this when asked
I hope you recover too
Covid hasn’t gone away either in the UK or around the world.
https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/current-covid-hospitalizations-per-million
And the trend is up.
There is thus a rising tide of Long Covid and the non-covid backlog.
Its worse in the developing world where Covax has failed to deliver sufficient vaccines.
https://dnyuz.com/2022/12/07/global-partners-may-end-broad-covid-vaccination-effort-in-developing-countries/
But as every accountant knows what you don’t count doesn’t get measured.
There is some positive news , but the best advice is not to catch it and keep up your vaccinations.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/aug/31/good-news-long-covid-uk-cases-scientists
So sorry to hear this, I work with colleagues who suffer from long covid, and it’s very debilitating.
I must be heading for a better stage or yesterday’s thread would not have happened
But thanks