Long Covid: Ambulance worker credits food supplements to alleviate symptoms

Matt Webb said he had to sleep for two days and ached all over if he attempted anything while suffering long Covid

An ambulance worker who was off duty for 14 months with long Covid said taking a daily probiotic and food supplement had been "life-changing".

Matt Webb, of Tilney St Lawrence, near King's Lynn, Norfolk, suffered from "sheer exhaustion" since contracting the virus in 2020.

He credits a treatment trial, led by scientists in Cambridge, for his improved health and return to work.

"In three days, the difference was off the charts," said the father-of-two.

"I felt I had so much energy, the brain fog had cleared."

'Thought I was about to die'

Mr Webb, an emergency medical technician with the East of England Ambulance Service, was unvaccinated when he spent Christmas in 2020 and the subsequent new year in hospital.

"At that time I genuinely thought I was about to die," he said.

"I felt so poorly, I just hurt from head to toe."

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Matt Webb was at work in December 2020 when he developed a high temperature and tested positive for Covid

When he was discharged, he was weak and exhausted, could not work and found even light activity would lead to two days in bed with aches and pains.

Last year, desperate for something to alleviate his symptoms, he joined a trial devised by Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge.

He and 146 other volunteers were given a dried lactobacillus probiotic capsule every day between May and November.

Half were also given a phytochemical-rich concentrated food capsule, while the other half were given a placebo.

The results revealed that fatigue and coughing improved significantly in the entire group, and more so in those who took the food capsule, the hospital said.

'Help reduce symptoms'

After 14 months off, Mr Webb now works three days a week and continues to take the capsules, which he purchases.

"Last week I was away in my caravan, which was unheard of, it would be far too physical," added Mr Webb.

"I was doing 20,000 steps a day walking the dog on the beach, with no repercussions, when before I hadn't been able to do 3,000.

"It's a complete new lease of life, it's life-changing."

Prof Robert Thomas said the natural substances in common fruits could be concentrated at levels not found in the British diet

Oncologist Prof Robert Thomas, who led the study, said the team concentrated natural substances which are available in commons foods into capsule form.

"Within citrus fruits there are citrus bioflavonoids which are known to reduce inflammation and gut health, we have resveratrol in grapes, which combined with chamomile and turmeric are thought to have some direct anti-viral properties, so help clear the virus from the system.

"They also help with fatigue, joint paints, they help improve gut health, so help reduce many of the symptoms that are plaguing many people with long Covid.

"We found participants had a two to three-fold improvement in the commons symptoms, such as fatigue, cough, bowel problems, joint pain, which led to an overall improvement in wellbeing."

The capsules are classed as a food, not a drug, so are therefore unregulated and cannot be prescribed by the NHS, but are available to buy.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) said it was not unaware of any plans for an evidence review as a result of the trial.

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