Woman who suffers long Covid two years on says more funding needed to understand condition
A Shropshire woman battling long Covid says more funding has to go into research to ensure people do not have to go through months and years of ill health.
Ann Hartley from Ellesmere still has respiratory problems more than two years after she fell ill with coronavirus at the start of the March 2020 lockdown.
It is believed that up to 20,000 people across Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin could have long Covid and Ann says that figure will rise.
"Covid hasn't gone away, in fact we know more and more people who are falling ill," she said.
"Some of them will go on to have long Covid. We really do need more research into this dreadful condition."
She said the future was unknown.
"There is no hard and fast rule for symptoms of long Covid, at the last count I believe there were about 60. And there are no rules for treatment either. People seem to be grasping at anything that they can that might be able to help."
Ann said she had been helped enormously by her local GP practice, particularly in a crisis.
"However the general advice seems to be: you will get better, and to keep exercising. No one can give any more advice.
"I exercise as much as I can. However, sometimes the fatigue and the aches and pains are so bad that it is hard not to give up.
"We need much more research and more funding to help us understand why long Covid exists and why it is that some people are so badly affected. Otherwise there will be an even bigger problem going forward."
