Doctor with Long Covid found to have multiple blood clots in his brain

A doctor who became very unwell with COVID-19 at the start of the pandemic was later found to have multiple blood clots in his brain which could easily have killed him.

Dr Ian Frayling started suffering with a "bone-cracking" fever, muscle pain and a "cough like no other" in March 2020, weeks before the national lockdown was announced by the UK and Welsh governments.

His condition then took a turn for the worse when he started experiencing problems with his breathing and encountering such extreme brain fog that entire days would pass him by.

The 62-year-old said his "frightening" range of symptoms, which also included irritable bowel syndrome, disruptive sleep and difficulty with coordination, persisted for many months and left him a fatigued shell of his former self.

After sharing his story with WalesOnline 12 months ago, Dr Frayling was invited to meet the Senedd's health committee in March 2021 to give evidence of his battle with Long Covid. It led to a respiratory consultant reaching out to him and offering him a full clinical assessment at the University Hospital Llandough.

Not only did she find problems with his heart and blood pressure, which were to be expected, but a referral for CT scans in May 2021 revealed that he was living with several blood clots in his brain which were very likely to be attributed to the after-effects of coronavirus. It meant suffering a catastrophic stroke was highly likely.

After being given the deeply distressing news, Dr Frayling said his mind began turning to other people with Long Covid who may be experiencing similar neurological symptoms but are waiting many months to be referred to see a specialist doctor by their GP.

"The consultant used her clinical skills and expertise [to properly assess me and give me a CT scan]. I'm one of the lucky ones. A GP can't directly send people off for these kind of tests, so there could be thousands of people with Long Covid, just like me, who aren't getting the help they need and are just being fobbed off."

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Source: Wales Online, 28 November 2021