Frontline NHS worker's harrowing tale of life with Long-Covid
18 December 2020, 12:50
Impact of Covid-19 is "not a debate," says frontline worker
This caller told LBC his harrowing tale of Long-Covid and the impact it has had on his daily life.
"James, I work on the frontlines and I really want to warn people Covid-19 is dangerous. It nearly killed me back in April."
Phil called in during a debate about the on-going impact of Covid, he told LBC's James O'Brien that he thought some of the public were not taking coronavirus seriously enough.
Setting out his harrowing tale he said at the age of 39 he spent "four weeks in hospital, nearly dying."
Telling James the impact of Long-Covid the caller said: "Since then I've not been well at all, still breathless, chronic fatigue, I've had heart problems."
He revealed to LBC he has a constant tremor as well as pins and needles.
"James, people aren't scared of it, and they should be."
Phil said he is a father of three children, and while he is surviving he is still off sick and maybe worse he is unable to pay with his kids.
The caller said he thought medical works should spend more time emphasising "how dangerous this virus is."
Long Covid: "The blood in me feels like it's hot"
"It's not a debate, it's fact People are dying from Covid-19," Phil said.
He went on to describe himself as being "unlucky" and said he was living on a "plateau of despair."
It comes as the national debate turns to discuss the lasting effect of coronavirus with the NHS in England saying the number of specialist clinics helping people suffering from the long-term effects of Covid has grown to almost 70 sites.
Plans for 43 across the country were announced last month, but there are now 69 helping those with so-called "long-Covid".
Symptoms include brain fog, anxiety, depression, breathlessness and fatigue.
Around one in five people with coronavirus may go on to suffer long Covid, new data suggests.
For the first time, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has published figures examining long Covid, finding that a fifth of people have symptoms for five weeks or more while around one in 10 are affected for 12 weeks or more.
Overall, around 186,000 people in private households in England in the week beginning November 22 were living with Covid-19 symptoms that had persisted for between five and 12 weeks, the ONS said.
