Around 100,000 people in Wales may be suffering from long covid, highlighting the ongoing impact of the pandemic on health.
Caerphilly: It turns out that around 100,000 folks in Wales, including 4,500 kids, might still be dealing with long covid, nearly five years after the pandemic hit. This was brought up in the Senedd, where Hefin David made it clear that covid hasn’t just disappeared.
He mentioned how many people feel forgotten while still struggling with the effects of the virus. One story he shared was about Lee David Bowen, an opera singer from Trethomas, who faced long covid. Thankfully, he’s back to singing and even performing in the West End now, but it wasn’t easy for him.
Dr. David described how tough it was to see Lee back then, as he was really struggling. Even though Lee has made some recovery, it’s clear that the impact on his health was significant. During a debate, Dr. David praised Gareth Yanto Evans from the Long Covid Support charity for keeping the issue in the spotlight.
He also pointed out that there’s not enough data on long covid, especially since Wales missed out on a survey that showed 3.3% of people in England and Scotland are living with it. If we apply that data to Wales, it suggests at least 100,000 people are affected, which might actually be an underestimate.
Dr. David noted that those with long covid aren’t always seen as clinically vulnerable, which means many can’t get booster vaccines. He quoted a friend who said they feel like a forgotten group, emphasizing that people still suffer from the effects of covid, even if it seems like a thing of the past.
He highlighted how frontline workers, teachers, and NHS staff have been hit hard, with many losing their jobs and income. Dr. David also raised concerns about the Welsh Government’s recovery program for long covid, which offers various therapies.
In response, Jeremy Miles from the Welsh Government reminded everyone that Wales is still facing waves of infection and new variants. He mentioned that long covid can show up in over 200 different ways, affecting people’s lives deeply.
Mr. Miles, who just started in September, said they’ve boosted funding for health boards to support the recovery program to £8 million a year. This extra cash will also help people with similar conditions like fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.