Like a little bit out of breath, I know it sounds silly but I just mean
because it's like physical activity I feel like my lungs are still trying to catch up.
And ever since COVID as well, I am,
I have put on more weight because obviously I'm not as active anymore.
Like little tasks, like this like, I feel like I can't do properly anymore
and it feels like I have to depend on my partner a bit more and obviously I can't keep doing that.
When I first discovered I had COVID was the 6 of January 2021. I couldn't do nothing
like I was pretty much bed bound nearly for two months — coughing, sneezing, shortness of breath,
fatigue. Honestly when I've read things online and I've seen people having COVID for like
since it started that really worried us because I don't want to be ill like this
for long because I like to be quite active, I like to play rugby.
My doctor said — 'have you heard about the Long COVID team?' I'm excited to finally get some help
like because getting some answers because every time I just get chest x-rays and stuff
they just say 'oh it comes back normal'. There's clearly still something wrong.
My name is Graham Burns I set up and run the post-COVID assessment clinic.
I don't know who's coming, I haven't met these patients yet they'll be new to me.
My plan is to hear them out, hear their story,
find out what the problems are, and if possible try and find a way of facilitating their recovery.
There are a certain number of particular traits individuals tend to have
and we find that if we can help in those particular
areas of the condition then that does help people to progressively improve.
The big thing and I think this is the real barrier to recovery, patients are absolutely convinced
they will never get better — they've been on wells for so long they've come to the conclusion that:
this is, it this is me for life — now I will never be my old self again. And I think that
belief that you will never recover is a genuine barrier to recovery and if I can persuade people
that there is the real prospect of recovery here I think that can be therapeutic in itself.
John Miley? Hello sir, come through have yourself a seat.
Thank you.
Are there any particular worries you've got about this whole situation, you know there's anything?
That I don't think I'm ever going to get better.
Yeah, yeah a lot of people say that. And before you got COVID,
what were you like on stairs and on the flat then?
I was alright. I used to be quite fit. I used to like go for walks and stuff.
Today I think will be probably the the most
thorough health check you ever get in your life — it's a good health MOT, if you like.
Not like a massive cough or nothing it was just like a
tickly cough like something was like before it was a bit dry.
I think I just went up and down like I was getting a little bit on then
because my job at work is well, I've changed jobs now, but it was a lot of walking about at pace.
Yeah.
And I was just having to stop every two seconds to catch me breath.
How did things progress from there then?
I don't think they've got any better since then.
There's, you don't think there's been any of this since?
I don't think I've got any better.
Right.
Really big breath in, right in John and blow as hard as you can, keep going, keep going,
gently, keep squeezing, try and relax your neck and shoulders as you blow out,
blow, blow, blow, blow, blow, lovely well done.
I just feel a bit tired now after doing that second one with the breathing and
stuff because it's quite physical, isn't it? Blowing in all the tubes.
It's because I've had COVID for quite a long time now and things haven't been getting any
better. I didn't really know what to expect, just the thought I just needed explanations and things
have been explained to us a lot like more in depth and and I think I can recover from it now.
So I'm going to take blood from you, you said okay. There you go, are you okay?
After speaking to the doctor there I feel like there is a good outcome.
Get seen to, like you know, get better basically.
So what we know is that COVID doesn't just affect people
physically it also affects people psychologically.
I'm just looking at your scores here on low mood
and it's what you're indicating is that you're not sleeping very well.
No because sometimes I think like when I do fall asleep straight away sometimes
but sometimes I just feel like 'oh why am I always so ill?'
Like I'll think to myself I know it might not be COVID related but I sometimes get
up when I'm awake and I'm thinking about it. I think 'have I left the door open?' It's like a.
It sounds like you've developed lots of anxiety and the anxiety is trying
to find its home so it's looking for anything possible to worry about.
I think COVID's opened a door.
Physio, occupational therapy,
who can help with sort of like work, daily activities around the house, and what do you
want to get back to doing? What are your goals? What do you want to get out of being here?
Well I just want to get fitter.
And that's shortness of breath that's limiting you?
Do you know if you've put any weight on since having COVID?
Three or four stone.
I think there's a real prospect we're going to get you better, right? And I mean that,
I mean that. If there are physical problems in the body whether it be scars or whether
it be inflammation or anything not right I'll tell ya. The tests we do today we'll find it
and I'll tell you about it and we'll get on with it.
I think it is unlikely we're going to be seeing any permanent damage
connected with the COVID condition — I don't think that's very likely at all.
Not like a normal hospital appointment, if that makes sense? I was meant to feel like I was at
home. It's been awesome. I've got many answers now. I'm getting referred to the right people.
Come in clean.
When I get me results from the clinic I'm finally going to know my limitations,
so I know where I can push myself and where I need to like maybe take a step back. I 100%
would recommend if anyone's feeling they still have long like COVID symptoms after having it,
I would recommend you get in touch or ask your doctors to be referred anything,
just go as soon as possible because it'll help. It's like I'm actually looking a bit forward to
the future because I know now I'm going to get the results that I've always wanted.
My name is Christina and I left the long COVID clinic in December 2020. I got COVID during the
first round of it. At one point I was completely unable to breathe, which was obviously quite
scary. I think at times I thought that I was going to go to sleep but I wasn't going to wake up.
The nurse specialist phoned me based upon my admittance into the hospital and said
we're following up patients who've come in with COVID and the after effects of that. It was huge
because I knew that somebody was there to look at actually something that what was wrong with me,
how can we fix me, how can we get me back to being normal again — it's not just in my head — and
let's try and find out what's happening here, and see if we can treat you for it. The good news was
that I knew that there wasn't anything seriously wrong with my lungs but things did need working
on. It would take time. Every time I tried to push myself to the way that I'd normally do it I
would knock myself back and there'd be times I'd just be collapsed exhausted at home crying and
I didn't know why I was crying. I couldn't sleep but I couldn't do anything. I was exhausted. This
team were looking at it differently and going: 'no, okay you need to take a step back here. Why
don't we try this and why don't we try that?' And that took a lot of adjusting. It did take a
further five months to get my fitness back to the level it was and I think one of the main things
was I had a goal to work towards — the Great North Run was coming up, it was opening up, and
it was one of the things that I wanted to do was get it under two hours — it was one hour and 59!
Just in under the two-hour mark. I think it was fantastic being treated
by a team of people who specialized in so many different areas, which are related to COVID and
all the the curveballs that control you. So it has been fantastic and the goals that they set you
and the motivation that's there behind — it sort of has led me to the place where I am now.