I'm exhausted just being alive, says long Covid sufferer

[A man with a grey beard and short hair wearing a black hooded top and sitting outside on a wooden chair. ]LDRS

Darren Parkinson has suffered with the condition for five years

MIchael Broomhead

Local Democracy Reporter

8 hours ago

A man whose life has been "devastated" by "long Covid" has urged the prime minister to do more to help people living with the condition.

Darren Parkinson said he contracted the initial virus in 2021 and now struggles to leave his home as a result of the after-effects.

The 50-year-old from Bradford said it has cost him his job as a learning disability nurse for the NHS and forced him to stand down as a Green Party councillor on Shipley Town Council.

The government said it was "committed to ensuring those with the condition get the support they need".

Long Covid symptoms include extreme tiredness, muscle aches, difficulty concentrating and shortness of breath.

It is estimated to affect about two million people in the UK and there is currently no cure.

Parkinson, who lives in Shipley, said his body "feels like it has been poisoned".

"I don't want me, and other people living with long Covid, to be forgotten," he said.

"My message to the new prime minister and his government is really clear - do more to support people living with long Covid and invest more money for research to hopefully find a cure for this horrendous condition."

[A bearded man wearing a black hooded top and grey jeans lying on a bed with his hands inside his pockets. There is a black water cup on a brown wooden bedside table. ]LDRS

The dad of two says he has to spend most of the time lying down

The dad of two said his symptoms affected him all the time.

"It's a constant feeling of being really ill and exhausted from the moment I get up to the moment I go to bed," he added.

"I feel utterly exhausted just by being alive."

He said the main thing he needed to do during the day was rest and spent most of the time lying on his bed or sofa or sitting down.

"It's had a devastating impact on my life - everything I used to enjoy doing, I can no longer do."

A government spokesperson said: "Darren's story highlights the very real impact long Covid continues to have on people and their families.

"We are committed to ensuring those suffering with the condition get the support they need," adding: "We are funding research into this condition to improve diagnosis, support and unlock new treatments."

It also urged those living with the condition to access long Covid services, commissioned by local NHS organisations.

"Where local services are not available, patients with long Covid symptoms should visit their GP, who can then refer them to alternative services based on clinical need."