Layla Moran: Long Covid will likely be with the UK from now on
5 February 2021, 16:07
Layla Moran: Long Covid will be one of the biggest issues facing UK
Long Covid is "very likely to be with us in society from now on," Liberal Democrat MP and chair of the coronavirus All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) Layla Moran has told LBC.
While some people have a mild form of illness from Covid-19, others have been seriously affected with long Covid.
People affected with long-term symptoms have described how they have been previously fit and healthy and now they are confined to a wheelchair.
Breathlessness and fatigue have been reported by long-term sufferers and some have described how doing shopping or climbing stairs can leave them bed-ridden for days.
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Ms Moran told LBC's Shelagh Fogarty: "So the current estimate for the number of people who have Long Covid is nearing 400,000 people.
"That's the same number more or less of people in this country who also have rheumatoid arthritis."
She also said the Covid APPG s calling on the Government to "put funding into research" on Long Covid, "better guidelines for employers" and to recognise it is an "occupational disease" for which there should be compensation.
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The Liberal Democrat MP added: "So we need guidelines for employers and schools indeed so that they understand Long Covid is real.
"It's very likely to be with us in society from now on. We need to respond to it and we need to recognise that things are going to have to change to accommodate it."
