Yet Another Belated Update

Hello friends and happy weekend!

If you’re new here, Sarah, Aimee, Rachel, Cass and the rest of the petition campaign team would like to thank all of you for joining us in our call for compensation and a pension: There has been a lot of media attention around Long Covid and some keyworker sectors in recent weeks, yet none of the U.K. governments have spoken up about their plans to ensure those disabled by the pandemic are properly looked after and not made to face financial ruin. 

Our colleague Brenda, in Scotland, continues to raise awareness through Tiktok videos and social media posts about the condition - she’s having an awful time of it trying to access any kind of support - and we are so proud of her. 

Here in Scotland, another group Cass is involved with - the Scottish Healthcare Workers’ Coalition - is currently writing a letter around the ill-advised ending of masking in health and social care, given no further mitigations are currently in place. The language and reasoning was also of concern. We also applaud our friends at Covid Action Scotland for their work in raising awareness, particularly with their gathering to protest outside the Scottish Parliament last weekend. The letter is slow going and there is a lot of discussion with other groups about sharing this letter for them to sign as well. Research, structure, writing and editing is very tough when you barely have the energy to get out of bed! SHWC is also progressing its work as core participant in the Scottish Covid Inquiry. They’re trying to reach a nurse who was recently featured in the Scottish Daily Express who is trying to get specific issues investigated by Police.

None of us want to really be masking anymore, however there’s still too many beds occupied by Covid patients, a huge percentage of whom are infected while in hospital for other issues: The risks of repeat infections causing Long Covid and other complications are very real. Hospital design and ventilation really isn’t where it needs to be and air purification hasn’t been brought on board in any keyworker sector in the U.K. - without that, we will continue to see Keyworkers infected with Covid and at an increased risk of Long Covid - which as we know is career-limiting or even ending for many. It’s very worrying indeed that a level three biohazard may no longer even be properly counted in the coming days. The World Health Organisation has said that while the immediate emergency of the pandemic is over, both Covid and Long Covid remain concerns. There is now a global campaign to keep masks in healthcare.

We are sorry we aren’t able to keep you all updated as much as we want to - All of us haven’t been able to meet, due to all sorts of issues (including benefits and other forms. So. Many. Forms), but rest assured that we are all still doing what we can to keep Long Covid front and centre, as well writing to elected representatives about various issues and so on. 

All of us continue to try new things to see if it will give us any kind of improvement. Obviously, we can’t share this as it’s related to what our clinicians and healthcare professionals think what is best for us.

We continue to shake, rattle and roll (literally) and a GIANT thank you - we never in a million years thought we would be 101 supporters away from 128,000. It means the world. 

Thank you.