Done what was asked of l fear losing theirjobs. I� e done what was asked of me. I went into the front line, ive done myjob, and now im just collateral damage. Done my job, and now im Ust Collateral Damagei collateral damage. They cared for us, collateral damage. They cared for us. Now collateral damage. They cared for us, now they collateral damage. They cared for us, now they are collateral damage. They cared for us, now they are asking, l for us, now they are asking, who is going to care for them . They arejust on who is going to care for them . They are just on a no mans land they are just on a no mans land we they are just on a no mans land. We dont have the support for them land. We dont have the support for them and actually that genuinely makes me angry. I was iwasa i was a power walker. Went everywhere as quickly as possible. Sometimes people think im a patient, rather than the doctor, until they see my badges and so on. Shall we listen to your chest . Can you put it on your chest . Dr natalie put it on your chest . Dr Natalie Mcdermott has long covid. I Natalie Mcdermott has long covid. ,. ,. , covid. I thought something not uuite covid. I thought something not quite right covid. I thought something not quite right here covid. I thought something not quite right here but covid. I thought something not quite right here but i covid. I thought something not quite right here but ijust quite right here but ijust couldnt build up that strength, like, it didnt seem to matter how much i went for a walk, i couldnt get beyond a certain point. Walk, i couldnt get beyond a certain point. Natalie says she cau~ht certain point. Natalie says she caught covid certain point. Natalie says she caught covm twice certain point. Natalie says she caught covm twice at certain point. Natalie says she caught covm twice at the certain point. Natalie says she| caught covid twice at the start of the pandemic. The london trust where she used to work disputes she was infected there. A, disputes she was infected there. � , disputes she was infected there. , disputes she was infected there. � , there. A Mobility Scooter is a Big Adjustment there. A Mobility Scooter is a Big Adjustment for there. A Mobility Scooter is a Big Adjustment for me there. A Mobility Scooter is a i Big Adjustment for me because i guess i never really thought i would need one, or certainly not at the age of a0. She would need one, or certainly not at the age of 40. Not at the age of 40. She is now working not at the age of 40. She is now working at not at the age of 40. She is now working at a not at the age of 40. She is now working at a different l now working at a different hospital. Now working at a different heapital now working at a different hosital. ,. , hospital. Sometimes now, ifind it very hard hospital. Sometimes now, ifind it very hard to hospital. Sometimes now, ifind it very hard to find hospital. Sometimes now, ifind it very hard to find things, hospital. Sometimes now, ifind it very hard to find things, i it very hard to find things, i just dont have that concentration for very long anymore. So i can read may a sentence, but then ijust lose track of where i am. Sentence, but then i ust lose track of where i am. Sentence, but then i ust lose track of where i am. Long covid is a new condition track of where i am. Long covid is a new condition and track of where i am. Long covid is a new condition and there track of where i am. Long covid is a new condition and there is| is a new condition and there is no universal definition, but the World Health Organization says if you are still ill three months after infection and there is no other obvious cause, it is long covid. There are two very cause, it is long covid. There are two very broad cause, it is long covid. There are two very broad categories of long are two very broad categories of long covid. There are people who got of long covid. There are people who got really severe covid, the virus who got really severe covid, the virus that affected their lungs. The virus that affected their lungs, that affected their blood lungs, that affected their blood vessels, so they had strokes blood vessels, so they had strokes or heart attacks. Actually strokes or heart attacks. Actually a far more common version actually a far more common version though are people who often version though are people who often only had very mild disease. Theyve been left with an overall disease. Theyve been left with an overall system failure, and the body an overall system failure, and the bodyjust doesnt work the way that the bodyjust doesnt work the way that it should. Coronavirus chan. Ed way that it should. Coronavirus changed life way that it should. Coronavirus changed life dramatically, way that it should. Coronavirus changed life dramatically, an l changed life dramatically, an emergency the like of which most of us had never experienced before. Most of us had never exerienced before. , experienced before. Our Health Correspondent experienced before. Our Health Correspondent catherine correspondent catherine vandersay. What have we learned . Vandersay. What have we learned . ,. , learned . Showstopper something that shows us learned . Showstopper something that shows us how learned . Showstopper something that shows us how much learned . Showstopper something that shows us how much things i that shows us how much things have that shows us how much things have changed since the beginning of the year. | have changed since the beginning of the year. I have been covering beginning of the year. I have been covering the beginning of the year. I have been covering the pandemic| beginning of the year. I have been covering the pandemic from the beginning of the year when millions were told to stay home, protect the nhs, save lives. In return, the government promised to protect Health Workers. I government promised to protect Health Workers. Health workers. I will stop at nothin Health Workers. I will stop at nothing to Health Workers. I will stop at nothing to make Health Workers. I will stop at nothing to make sure Health Workers. I will stop at nothing to make sure front l Health Workers. I will stop at i nothing to make sure front line staff have the right equipment so that they can feel safe and be confident that they have everything they need to do theirjobs. Everything they need to do theirjobs everything they need to do their obs. � ,. Theirjobs. And every thursday niuht theirjobs. And every thursday night across theirjobs. And every thursday night across the theirjobs. And every thursday night across the uk, theirjobs. And every thursday night across the uk, People I Night across the uk, people came out to show their appreciation. Now some of those we applauded say they are being abandoned. Weve been in touch with more than 250 Health Workers who say they now have long covid. I workers who say they now have long covid long covid. I dont want to be like i am, long covid. I dont want to be like i am, i long covid. I dont want to be like i am, i want long covid. I dont want to be like i am, i want to long covid. I dont want to be like i am, i want to be long covid. I dont want to be like i am, i want to be part i long covid. I dont want to be like i am, i want to be part of| like i am, i want to be part of the normal, working world. I want to be a part of the world thats moved on, that thinks thats moved on, that thinks that covid is over. For me, its a living, breathing beast. This past 14 months has broken me, i have had days where i have me, i have had days where i have feit me, i have had days where i have felt like i cant carry on, have felt like i cant carry on. And have felt like i cant carry on. And it have felt like i cant carry on, and it would be easier to not on, and it would be easier to not he on, and it would be easier to not be here. Which is terrifying, because thats not who terrifying, because thats not who i terrifying, because thats not who i am terrifying, because thats not who i am. | terrifying, because thats not who i am terrifying, because thats not who i am. I look to the future and i think, who i am. I look to the future and i think, is who i am. I look to the future and i think, is this who i am. I look to the future and i think, is this going i who i am. I look to the future and i think, is this going to i and i think, is this going to be me and i think, is this going to be me forever . I feel like ifeel like im i feel like im a mere shell of the person i feel like im a mere shell of the person i i feel like im a mere shell of the person i used i feel like im a mere shell of the person i used to i feel like im a mere shell of the person i used to be. I i feel like im a mere shell of the person i used to be. Thel the person i used to be. The nhs across the person i used to be. The nhs across the the person i used to be. The nhs across the uk the person i used to be. Nhs across the uk doesnt the person i used to be. Nhs across the uk doesnt have an overall figure for how many staff have long covid. Figures arent always recorded, partly because of the wide range of symptoms. Weve analysed survey data from the office for national statistics, and estimate that, in the uk, around 90,000 Health Workers would say they are still living with it. Dr Natalie Mcdermott specialises in infectious diseases, and was worried early on about the risks of covid. The alarm bells rang for me because i thought, but we are working with known Covid Patients here and yet we are still only allowed to wear the same ppe that i am wearing on any other ward. Same ppe that i am wearing on any other ward. What ppe were ou any other ward. What ppe were you wearing . Any other ward. What ppe were you wearing . A any other ward. What ppe were you wearing . A fluid any other ward. What ppe were you wearing . A fluid resistant i you wearing . A fluid resistant sura ical you wearing . A fluid resistant surgical mask, you wearing . A fluid resistant surgical mask, a you wearing . A fluid resistant surgical mask, a pair you wearing . A fluid resistant surgical mask, a pair of you wearing . A fluid resistant| surgical mask, a pair of gloves and a plastic apron that covers your torso, and a plastic apron that covers yourtorso, nothing and a plastic apron that covers your torso, nothing else. She wrote to your torso, nothing else. She wrote to the your torso, nothing else. She wrote to the trust yourtorso, nothing else. She wrote to the trust she was working for at the time, raising her concerns about ppe. It says it was following official guidance. I it says it was following official guidance. I said, why are we not official guidance. I said, why are we not wearing official guidance. I said, why are we not wearing full i official guidance. I said, why are we not wearing full ppe, j are we not wearing full ppe, im concerned there are inconsistencies, and that staff are being left unprotected. Health unions were worried too. They repeatedly asked for more protection. Irate they repeatedly asked for more protection protection. We are getting the ushback protection. We are getting the pushback that protection. We are getting the pushback that firstly protection. We are getting the pushback that firstly we i protection. We are getting the pushback that firstly we dont | pushback that firstly we dont have pushback that firstly we dont have sufficient masks in order to keep have sufficient masks in order to keep the staff are safe. Second. To keep the staff are safe. Second, that this would be generating fear, when it came to the generating fear, when it came to the virus. And actually it was to the virus. And actually it was appropriate that they should was appropriate that they should be a degree of fear when it comes should be a degree of fear when it comes to a deadly virus. Advice it comes to a deadly virus. Advice on it comes to a deadly virus. Advice on ppe was based on the idea of the virus was largely spread through droplets from coughs and sneezes. Some scientists were convinced there was another significant way it was another significant way it was being transmitted, through aerosols, infectious particles lingering in the air. Not everyone agreed. Lingering in the air. Not everyone agreed. Lingering in the air. Not eve one aareed. ,. ,. , everyone agreed. Very early on we thought everyone agreed. Very early on we thought it everyone agreed. Very early on we thought it was everyone agreed. Very early on we thought it was aerosol. I everyone agreed. Very early on we thought it was aerosol. We | we thought it was aerosol. We were saying this since i think march, april. So lets say that my view was not popular, ok, and i think that, without being too specific, a lot of Infection Control people didnt want to hear this. If we understood better how the virus was being spread, we could have implemented better ppe for Health Care Workers. Health care workers. From midmarch Health Care Workers. From midmarch 2020, Health Care Workers. From midmarch 2020, the Health Care Workers. From i midmarch 2020, the Guidance Health care workers. From midmarch 2020, the guidance on mid march 2020, the guidance on caring for covert patients was for most health staff to wear these, surgical masks, the kind many of us have become used to. But in some areas, like Intensive Care units, and for certain medical procedures, the advice was to use these, ffp three respirators. If one correctly, they form a seal around the face, with a Filter Blocking at least 99 of infectious particles. There is still a debate about whether wider use of Respirator Masks would have stopped so many Health Workers getting infected. The government says it delivered over 25 billion items of ppe, and guidance was agreed by all four nations and Public Health bodies. There are days when i honestly cant even get out of the house, but i tend to try and get out here at least a couple of times a day, even if its just a few minutes at a time. Rachel haxton is a nurse in devon. Shes been diagnosed with long covid, and hasnt worked for more than two years. Her husband gordon has it too. They have two sons, tommy and greg. They have two sons, tommy and greu. ,. , they have two sons, tommy and greu. ,. ,. , greg. They are three and four, ou greg. They are three and four, you know . Greg. They are three and four, you know . Most greg. They are three and four, you know . Most parents i greg. They are three and four, you know . Most parents could pick them up and give them a piggyback, put them up pick them up and give them a piggyback, put them up on pick them up and give them a piggyback, put them up on their shoulders, which is something gordon used to do all the time with the boys. We cant do that now. I with the boys. We cant do that now. ,. ,. , now. Ijust need to pop him in because im now. Ijust need to pop him in because im just now. Ijust need to pop him in because im just really now. Ijust need to pop him in because im just really out i now. Ijust need to pop him in because im just really out of| because im just really out of breath because im ust really out of breath. ,. ,. Breath. Joint pain, muscle ain, breath. Joint pain, muscle pain. My breath. Joint pain, muscle pain, my taste breath. Joint pain, muscle pain, my taste and breath. Joint pain, muscle pain, my taste and smell| breath. Joint pain, muscle i pain, my taste and smell have never gone back to what they were. Like a big wave of allergy problems. I now carry an epipen. Ive never done that before in my life. Ive lost the hearing in my left air, i wear the hearing in my leftair, i weara the hearing in my left air, i wear a hearing the hearing in my leftair, i weara hearing aid. The hearing in my left air, i wear a hearing aid. The hearing in my left air, i wear a hearing aid. Rachel was infected in wear a hearing aid. Rachel was infected in october wear a hearing aid. Rachel was infected in october 2020. I infected in october 2020. Theres only ward. Without warnin theres only ward. Without warning i theres only ward. Without warning i was theres only ward. Without warning i was called i theres only ward. Without warning i was called in i theres only ward. Without warning i was called in to l theres only ward. Without i warning i was called in to say it had been turned over the last few days into a Covid Contact Ward and i should bring some spare clothes with me because there was not enough scraps to go around. Scraps to go around. Patients who had been scraps to go around. Patients who had been exposed i scraps to go around. Patients who had been exposed to i scraps to go around. Patients i who had been exposed to covid well being transfer to rachels hospital and soon started to test positive. How did you feel . , , test positive. How did you feel . ,. , feel . Rabbit in headlights, if im feel . Rabbit in headlights, if im honest feel . Rabbit in headlights, if im honest. Ill feel . Rabbit in headlights, if im honest. Ill never feel . Rabbit in headlights, if im honest. Ill never forget l im honest. Ill neverforget it, ijust walked into absolute chaos. ,. , chaos. This was during the second wave chaos. This was during the second wave of chaos. This was during the second wave of the chaos. This was during the i second wave of the pandemic, and before the first vaccines. Rachel says she didnt feel safe. ~ , rachel says she didnt feel safe. G. , safe. My particular surgical mask, safe. My particular surgical mask. By safe. My particular surgical mask. By the safe. My particular surgical mask, by the time safe. My particular surgical mask, by the time you i safe. My particular surgical mask, by the time you had j mask, by the time you had wrapped the loops around your