LONG COVID

A Glasgow GP and Conservative MSP for Glasgow has spoken about his concerns from those suffering with “long Covid”. As many as 90,000 Scots could be left suffering with the condition, a crippling condition which has left patients struggling to breathe, with chronic fatigue and aching joints.

Scottish Conservative MSP and GP Sandesh Gulhane is preparing to publish a paper on the condition after seeing patients in Glasgow. He believes the Government must begin work on a chain of clinics across Scotland to treat those left with health problems after coronavirus.

Dr Gulhane said he has seen first-hand how otherwise healthy people have been devastated by the diagnosis. He said the condition has left many people unable to do essential tasks.

According to Healthcare Improvement Scotland, most people struck down by Covid should be symptom free within 12 weeks. Anyone with new or persisting symptoms in that time frame is likely to have “long Covid”, which can have a “detrimental impact on their quality of life”.

Symptoms can include “shortness of breath, fatigue, heart, lung, kidney, neurological and musculoskeletal” problems.

The Scottish Government has warned that these are “not limited to people who were seriously unwell or hospitalised when they first caught the virus” – with a fluctuation in symptoms likely over time.

After looking at official data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), Dr Gulhane believes as many as 90,000 people living in Scotland could suffer from the condition.

He has welcomed the Covid in Scotland Study (CISS), which is looking to bring more understanding of the impact of prolonged symptoms.

Dr Gulhane has also issued a plea to the Government to “get to grips” with long Covid quicker. He says this must include a “network of community clinics” along with specialist centres.

The CISS is led by the University of Glasgow with Public Health Scotland and the NHS, and is funded by the Scottish Government. Every adult who has tested positive will be invited to take part – with researchers hoping to see how many continue to be unwell after having the virus.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Our NHS is already delivering care tailored to the individual needs of people experiencing long-term effects.

“This is still a relatively new illness, and it is important that we continue to improve our understanding of its effects on people, in order to ensure they receive the best possible care.

“The Scottish Government has committed around £2.5million to fund nine projects to improve our understanding… and help with developing clinical interventions to support recovery.”