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Coronavirus patients have continued to suffer from fatigue, breathlessness and forgetfulness more than 100 days after contracting the bug. Many COVID-19 survivors have found that they are not back to normal months after they tested positive. Louise Nicholls, from Litherland in Liverpool, is one of those people who found themselves suffering from curious symptoms long after she should have been back to normal. She was told she had coronavirus by her doctor on 1 April having gone in search of medical help after suffering from a number of respiratory symptoms. "I was trying to do my workouts and I was getting really short of breath," Louise said. "I couldn't put my finger on what was going on but it got worse every day. My chest started getting tighter and my lungs were burning. I didn't have a cough or a fever but I had shortness of breath and I was waking up with night sweats." Louise said her symptoms were dismissed as anxiety by those around her at first, but when her symptoms got worse she phoned the doctor who said it sounded like coronavirus. Louise said: "My doctor said it sounds like covid. She said 'you're young and fit, you'll be over it in a few weeks' and sent me on my way." Louise's breathing continued to get worse and she was given a steroid inhaler, which she is still taking today. Although Louise feels much better than she did at one time, she is still struggling with her breathing today and is continuing to use her inhaler. She said: "I feel much better than I was but I can't push myself too much... My chest feels tight if I don't take my inhaler every day." Read full story Source: Mirror, 12 July 2020

NHS England is launching a new service for people with ongoing health problems after having coronavirus. The government says "tens of thousands" of people have long-term symptoms after catching COVID-19. "Your Covid Recovery" will be an online portal for people in England to access tutorials, contact healthcare workers and track their progress. The project will be rolled out in two phases, with the web portal launching later this month. It will only be accessible via a personal log-in and will be available to virus patients who had to be treated in hospital, as well as to those who managed their illness at home. Later in the summer, tailored rehabilitation will also be offered to those who qualify, following an assessment. Each programme will last a maximum of 12 weeks, the Department of Health and Social Care said. Read full story Source: BBC News, 5 July 2020

Most people experience COVID-19 as a short-term illness: once the infection has been fought off, they bounce back to health. But evidence is emerging of a significant minority – sometimes referred to as “long haulers” – who struggle with long-term symptoms for a month or longer. Anecdotal reports have abounded of people left with fatigue, aching muscles and difficulty concentrating. Online support groups on Facebook and Slack have sprung up, already hosting thousands of members who say they have not got better. Speaking to the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show on Sunday, Matt Hancock said it was difficult to gauge the scale of the problem. “This is a really serious problem for a minority of people who have Covid,” the health secretary said. “Some people have long-term effects that look like a post-viral fatigue syndrome.” Scientists are only just beginning to investigate the potential causes of enduring fatigue, but say that there are likely to be a wide variety of reasons why some people face a longer road to recovery. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 5 July 2020

We’re swiftly learning the symptoms of Covid-19 may last longer than previously thought. One in 10 people are reporting a longer tail of symptoms, which exceeds the suggested two-week recovery time. It’s thought around 30,000 people in the UK could be impacted by a prolonged version of the illness – what some are calling ‘long covid’. These people are months into their recovery from the virus and still fighting a range of persistent symptoms. In some cases, the symptoms disappear for a while before coming back. In others, they’re gradually improving over time. Research from the Covid-19 Symptom Study in the UK, led by Professor Tim Spector of King’s College London, shows after three weeks of first reporting symptoms, a group of people continue to experience fatigue, headaches, coughs, loss of smell, sore throats, delirium and chest pain. People with mild cases of the disease are more likely to have a wide range of symptoms that come and go over an extended period, Prof Spector found. And these people are often flying under the radar because they’re not in hospital. Those who believe they’ve had ‘long covid’ are now calling on the government to recognise their plight, invest in research and put support in place. Read full story Source: Huffpost, 2 July 2020

Initial survey findings show the long road to recovery for people who have faced COVID at home without going into hospital New survey findings from over 1,000 people show that those recovering from mild-moderate COVID are struggling for weeks with symptoms, raising concerns that there is not adequate support for people who have not been in hospital with the illness. The ongoing survey is being run by Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation, through their post-COVID HUB, which they set up, alongside a helpline and WhatsApp service, to support anyone left with breathing difficulties after COVID. Read full article here