A CREETOWN man living with long covid has called for more support for those with the condition.
John McClelland, 52, is no stranger to physical adversity. A barber to trade, he had to sell his business in 2013 after developing a chronic lung condition.
When the treatment for that condition damaged his bones, John ended up having to use a wheelchair. Undeterred, he decided to take up disability sports, eventually representing Scotland at wheelchair curling.
But nothing could have prepared John for the aftermath of covid, which he contracted in 2022, then becoming long covid.
More than a year after he and his wife Susan first got the virus, both are still living with the symptoms. John, in particular, has felt its debilitating effects severely, his left side is numb with pins and needles and chronic fatigue leaves him exhausted.
He said: “Before I got Covid-19, I was in the gym five times a week. Now I can hardly get out of bed.
“It’s been more than a year and I still have feelings of numbness and pins and needles on the left side of my body. I’ve been waiting almost a year for a neurological referral. I still have no sense of taste or smell.
“My GP referred me for physio, but the physio said there was nothing more they could do. That seems to be the answer to everything. In this area, there is no follow-up for people like me – no clinic to be sent to, no help with managing long covid.”
He was eventually referred to Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland, and their Long Covid Support Group helped him meet others and hear what treatment they are trying.
John added: “I am already living with a chronic health condition. I know how to pace myself and how to make sure I don’t overdo activities. But this is so much worse than anything I’ve ever experienced, and there doesn’t seem to be any light at the end of the tunnel.”
John wants better information for sufferers and greater awareness among GPs about what help is available, as well as financial help for those who cannot work or need help at home.
He said: “There’s not enough information out there. I accept it’s a very new condition, but people need some guidance.
“A bit of financial support from the government would be ideal. People need help. They need their symptoms to be taken seriously and they need to know they’re not in financial danger if they can’t work.”
Describing how fatigue is affecting his ability to play the sport he loves, John, who is chair of the Scottish Wheelchair Curling Association, added: “I’m still taking part, but I am wiped out for days afterwards. Taking part in the sport I love now absolutely floors me, so I am going to have to give up.”
Chief executive of CHSS, Jane-Claire Judson said they are aware of thousands whose lives have been devastated by long covid.
She said: “Long covid continues to have a significant social and economic impact in Scotland, and yet there is still a woeful lack of understanding and care available for those coping with it on a daily basis.
“We believe the lack of understanding amongst the general public and more specifically within the Scottish Government is contributing to the stigma surrounding long covid and the lack of support available.”
People looking for long covid advice can visit www.chss.org.uk or call the CHSS advice line on 0800 801 0899
