'Since having Covid my life has completely changed'

Children and young people from Dorset have spoken at the Covid Inquiry this week

A teenager from Dorset has told the Covid-19 inquiry her ongoing symptoms often leave her feeling "left out".

The inquiry hopes to understand the ongoing impact of the pandemic and is expected to last four weeks.

Some witnesses described having to stay at home and miss school because of living with vulnerable family members

Others, like 16-year-old Molly from Weymouth, said they were still experiencing symptoms of Long Covid, where the infection's symptoms continue for more than 12 weeks.

Before being diagnosed, Molly said she used to be "really active and sporty".

"Now I live with on-going symptoms that stop me from doing the things that most teenagers can," she said.

Molly spent long periods in hospital and said she was forced to miss out on most of her secondary education.

"I often feel left out because my friends have moved on and I can't keep up."

The government did not start planning for the closure of schools until the day before the decision was made, the Covid-19 inquiry has heard

Molly said she thought it was "very important" that children and young people gave evidence to the inquiry.

"Too often children like me have felt abandoned and failed, our struggles minimised and ignored," she said.

"I want people to understand how much this has affected young people too... and children like me won't be overlooked in the future."

Sammie McFarland, from Weymouth, is the CEO and co-founder of Long Covid Kids, which represents more than 11,000 families in the UK.

She said she hoped to see "rock-solid action" from the government, as well as "a formal apology to children and young people who have been completely and utterly overlooked".

The government has said it is committed to learning lessons from the inquiry.

Lana was 14 when the pandemic hit and had to shield for two years because her mother was, and still is, high-risk.

She gave her account of missing out on learning and education, as well as spending time with friends, to the inquiry in London this week.

Sarah Steven, who is a member of the Clinically Vulnerable Families, shared Lana's account on BBC Radio Solent.

She said: "The impacts on these kids and these families is still ongoing to this day and at the moment there doesn't seem to be any end in sight.

"We really need the inquiry to pick apart these issue for us."

The session looking into the impact on children and young people is expected to last four weeks.