'Having cystic fibrosis is like living through Covid lockdowns'

Ms Rich said her urge to spread awareness was sparked by a chat with a nurse

A woman says her life with cystic fibrosis has been like living in a continuous lockdown.

Caitlin Rich, from Hadfield, Derbyshire, has spoken out about the difficulties of having the condition during the pandemic.

The 25-year-old said she always had a persistent cough and often isolates over fear of catching infections.

She has now joined with the Cystic Fibrosis Trust to raise awareness of the common symptoms.

Cystic fibrosis is an incurable and life-limiting genetic condition that affects almost 11,000 people in the UK.

People are usually diagnosed at birth and experience a build-up of thick sticky mucus in the lungs, digestive system and other organs, with the typical age of death at just 36.

Continuous coughing

Ms Rich now hopes to create more public awareness of how the condition affects people.

"The idea sparked from a conversation with my cystic fibrosis nurse who called me before a hospital visit to check that I didn't have Covid-19," she said.

"After the first question of 'do you have a persistent cough?' there was a pause.

"I've known this nurse for nearly a decade and have had a cough the whole time due to my cystic fibrosis.

"I said 'of course! What do you think I'm coming in for?'

"We laughed it off, but unfortunately most people don't find my cough as amusing."

The awareness campaign uses several slogans

Ms Rich said having lived through the pandemic people could now relate to how her life is every day.

She said: "I quickly realised that we could draw on many more parallels between living in the pandemic and living with cystic fibrosis - social distancing from others with the condition, fear of catching a dangerous infection, restrictions on socialising and travelling.

"It has always been difficult to get people to understand what it is like to live with cystic fibrosis, but this campaign might help by relating it to our universal experience of the pandemic."

Infection risk

The new campaign, called CFTruths, includes slogans such as: "We were coughing before it went viral".

An accompanying poll of more than 2,000 UK adults found 86% did not know that people with cystic fibrosis cannot meet in person in case they pass on deadly infections to each other.

While those with cystic fibrosis can be close to family and friends, they must stay away if somebody is ill.

David Ramsden, chief executive of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, said: "Covid has made the last two years a time of challenge and loss across the UK, and some of the changes we all had to make have given an insight into what parts of everyday life are often like for people with cystic fibrosis.

"These memories may fade as most of us begin to return to life as normal. Those with cystic fibrosis will still, every day, weigh up the risks of catching infections that could damage their lungs and lead to lengthy hospital stays."

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