Birmingham midwife 'clinging on' for long Covid recovery

Jo Aitken said she was "clinging on" to the hope she will fully recover

A midwife who has been suffering from long Covid for more than a year has said she is still uncertain when she can return to a normal way of life.

Jo Aitken, from Birmingham, said she struggled with her breathing, chronic fatigue and cannot manage more than a few steps.

She contracted Covid-19 in March last year, she thinks while at work, and not worked since June.

But she said she was "clinging on" to the hope she will fully recover.

Although she made a swift recovery from the virus, she said she later began suffering from breathlessness, tiredness and brain fog.

Ms Aitken says she cannot walk more than few steps after contracting Covid-19 last year

Guidance for UK health workers describes long Covid as symptoms continuing for more than 12 weeks after an infection which cannot be explained by another cause.

There is currently no test for it, but symptoms can include extreme tiredness, breathing problems, heart palpitations and joint pain.

The British Medical Journal reported that it was thought to occur in approximately 10% of people infected.

Speaking to BBC News earlier this year the mother-of-two said long Covid had changed her life completely.

Several months later she said she was still coming to terms with the impact on her daily life.

"My mobility has really, really taken a big dive," she said.

The mother-of-two said her life had completely changed

"I used to be so active, had quite an active job and now I can't go out for a walk with the dog. And I get to the stage where I can't put one foot in front of the other.

"The mobility scooter has given me a lot more independence, I'm able to get out and about more, but my life has completely changed from what it was."

But she said she tried to stay positive.

"There are moments, but they are only literally moments when I start to think about the job that I miss, the life that I had. But I cling on to that fact that the doctor said he doesn't know when, but I will get better, I will recover."

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