'Long Covid has ruined my life'

Helen Lunt Davies has been living with symptoms for more than five years

A woman from Gloucestershire has shared how long Covid has "ruined" her life, leaving her "a shell" of her former self.

Helen Lunt Davies, 56, from Stroud, Gloucestershire, described the life-changing impact of contracting Covid-19 as fellow patients campaign for further research and treatments.

People struggling with the long term effects of the virus "feel abandoned" by the government and fear they will "hide in plain sight", charity Long Covid SOS said.

A Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) spokesperson said the government had "funded research in this area" to "improve understanding of diagnosis, care and treatment".

Ms Lunt Davies, who volunteers with Long Covid SOS, said she had struggled with a number of symptoms for more than five years, including heart palpitations, neurological issues, migraines, fatigue and tinnitus.

She is now taking ten different prescription medicines to manage the effects of her symptoms.

"Even now I'm not completely back to normal cognitively and I'll forget what I'm saying in the middle of talking," she said.

"I had to give up illustrating because I've got [a] tremor in my hands. My concentration is pretty bad, so I only drive for very short distances."

'Life changing'

The UK National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) defines Post-COVID-19 syndrome as "symptoms that are unexplained by an alternative diagnosis and persist for more than 12 weeks after acute COVID-19".

The NHS says the most common symptoms are extreme fatigue, shortness of breath, joint pain and aching muscles and problems with memory and concentration sometimes known as 'brain fog'.

"I want other people to realise that this actually is quite life changing and it's quite serious, I couldn't be independent now whereas before I was a very independent person," said Ms Lunt Davies.

In a recent open letter to health secretary Wes Streeting, Long Covid SOS called for the government to "get [the] Long Covid crisis on the health agenda" and fund further research.

The DHSC told the BBC: "Every person deserves to have their symptoms taken seriously and to receive prompt, accurate diagnoses and care."

"We are committed to ensuring there are quality services across the country for everyone suffering with it," they added.