Whilst the stats for covid are published every day (except weekends for Health Boards), the thing we don’t know yet is how many people will be affected over a longer period by covid.

Orkney Constituency MSP, Liam McArthur, LibDem, has called on constituents in the islands who are experiencing ‘long-Covid’ to come forward with details of their experience.

Liam McArthur says that there is a need to understand the level of local demand for ‘long-Covid’ medical assistance in Orkney.

Liam McArthur said:

“It is important that anyone suffering from long-Covid should contact their GP in the first instance.

“This pandemic is going to cast a shadow over our lives for some time to come, but those suffering from long-Covid face specific challenges on a day-to-day basis.

“We need a better understanding of how many people in Orkney and across the country are in this situation. This can then inform decisions over the medical and other assistance that is required.

“Of course, isles patients often have to endure long and arduous journeys to access specialist healthcare on the Scottish Mainland. We need to ensure that appropriate assistance for long-Covid is available here in Orkney.

“For that to happen, it will be important that there is an understanding of the level of local need.”

Symptoms of long COVID

There are lots of symptoms you can have after a COVID-19 infection.

Common long COVID symptoms include:

• extreme tiredness (fatigue)
• shortness of breath
• chest pain or tightness
• problems with memory and concentration (“brain fog”)
• difficulty sleeping (insomnia)
• heart palpitations
• dizziness
• pins and needles
• joint pain
• depression and anxiety
• tinnitus, earaches
• feeling sick, diarrhoea, stomach aches, loss of appetite
• a high temperature, cough, headaches, sore throat, changes to sense of smell or taste
• rashes

This booklet is for people who have had COVID-19 (with or without a positive COVID-19 test) and have symptoms that last more than four weeks.