I used to run twice a week, now I need a mobility scooter: The frontline medics who caught coronavirus at work but are now crippled by long Covid and fighting for damages

My legs gave measurement and I fell down nan stairs. As I was lying connected my backmost successful a heap, I was struck by really ironic this was: I was a neuro-rehabilitation physiotherapist, and it would usually beryllium maine school group really to spell up and down stairs safely. Yet present I was, helpless connected nan floor.'

Elisabeth Briggs, 48, a mother of 3 teenagers, from Newport, Shropshire, fights backmost tears arsenic she recounts really her life changed aft she contracted Covid astatine nan commencement of nan pandemic — which past developed into agelong Covid and led to her vulnerable fall.

'Before nan pandemic, I was a engaged mum, pinch tons of plates spinning,' she says.

'I had conscionable started a caller occupation arsenic portion of a squad rehabilitating aged patients who were fresh to beryllium discharged from infirmary to nursing homes to free up infirmary beds.

'It was March 2020 and patients were not being routinely tested for Covid astatine nan time.

'I was moving intimately pinch them, to thief them get retired of furniture and guidelines connected nan floor. I had to beryllium correct adjacent to them, physically supporting them.

'At nan clip we were told only to deterioration gloves and a pinny complete our uniforms — and to deterioration a disguise if patients had a cough aliases a fever. Of course, we now cognize that group pinch Covid tin beryllium asymptomatic [i.e. person nary symptoms]. Within days, I became sick pinch Covid.

'I wasn't earnestly unwell, but I tested affirmative connected April 19 and had to spell disconnected sick for 2 weeks. During that clip I developed unusual symptoms, specified arsenic a rash connected my feet and pains successful my legs. I retrieve playing pinch my girl connected nan trampoline and nan adjacent time I was successful agony — my legs felt for illustration I'd tally a marathon.'

After a further 2 weeks successful isolation, Elisabeth went backmost to activity successful May and continued to activity done nan 2nd and 3rd waves of Covid (in September 2020 and July 2021) — but she says it was often a struggle.

'I'd spell to activity but past beryllium wiped retired for days during my clip off,' Elisabeth recalls.

Although now utilizing surgical masks, successful January 2022 she had different bout of Covid.

Again, it was accompanied by unusual caller symptoms specified arsenic her legs turning purple, arsenic good arsenic changeless musculus symptom successful her limbs and utmost fatigue. It was nan commencement of her long-Covid journey.

Self-employed, she forced herself to support working, but it became much difficult.

'I noticed much and much weird symptoms,' she says.

'My toes abruptly went black. It must person been thing to do pinch my humor circulation not moving arsenic it should.

'I besides developed palpitations and was later diagnosed pinch postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS).'

POTS causes an abnormal emergence successful bosom complaint connected standing, and is simply a communal denotation of agelong Covid.

Then, 1 time successful July that year, Elisabeth's legs wholly gave way. She has ne'er made a afloat recovery, nor been capable to return to full-time activity since.

She says: 'On a bad day, I tin hardly locomotion up nan stairs. If I do thing active, I salary for it nan adjacent time pinch fatigue and I'll person to walk a fewer days connected nan sofa. I can't moreover guidelines agelong capable to navigator a repast — I person to usage a perching stool to beryllium astatine nan stove.

'I get unspeakable gastric reflux, too. If I eat a large meal, I americium sick consecutive away. I besides suffer pinch diarrhoea and bloating.'

Elisabeth is 1 of hundreds of healthcare workers pinch agelong Covid now seeking compensation from nan NHS for nan beingness injuries and financial losses they declare they sustained by moving connected nan beforehand statement without capable protection.

Long Covid is an umbrella word for a divers scope of symptoms, from associated symptom to bosom palpitations and breathing problems, arsenic identified by an world study led by University College London, published successful 2021. 

Around 1.9 cardinal group successful Britain are surviving pinch agelong Covid — defined arsenic symptoms that person lasted longer than 4 weeks aft a Covid infection, according to nan National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

An estimated 4 per cent are healthcare workers (this is based connected responses to nan Office for National Statistics' self-reported Covid-19 infection study collected successful March 2023).

The number of NHS workers affected is 'in nan thousands' and nan standard of their financial hardship is significant, according to Supporting Healthcare Heroes UK, a kindness launched past month, which is funded by nationalist donations to support those pinch agelong Covid. The charity's chair, Alison Twycross, told Good Health: 'Overwhelmingly, NHS healthcare workers pinch agelong Covid person been treated atrociously.

'They worked their socks disconnected passim nan pandemic without nan due protective instrumentality [PPE] and immense numbers — including cleaners, porters, nurses, physios, doctors, managers — developed agelong Covid and ne'er sewage backmost to work. And they are not receiving nan support they need.'

Now, lawyers from respective firms are collaborating connected nan 'Covid healthcare worker claims' case, and opportunity they person hundreds of claimants successful England and Wales. Separate ineligible actions are being prepared successful Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The scheme is to coming their lawsuit astatine a High Court proceeding successful October, focusing connected nan mobility of whether nan level of PPE offered to unit was appropriate.

Lawyers will reason that unit should person been provided pinch FFP3 masks (high-grade respirator masks that connection maximum protection, filtering 99 per cent of microscopic particles), which would person afforded them greater protection against nan airborne microorganism than nan bluish surgical masks that were officially recommended for astir staff.

Knowledge astir nan microorganism — and really it was transmitted — whitethorn still person been emerging, yet location were known doubts astir nan surgical masks offering capable protection astatine nan time, argues Kevin Digby, partner astatine rule patient GA Solicitors, which has almost 70 claimants connected their books.

'But NHS trusts maintained they were simply pursuing nationalist guidance by providing them,' he says. 'Our statement is that nan usage of surgical masks was not based connected nan science. Covid should person been recognised from nan commencement arsenic a biohazard and arsenic specified was an evident consequence to frontline NHS staff.'

Under nan Control of Substances Hazardous to Health regulations, workplaces must connection safe moving environments for unit and, if necessary, supply immoderate PPE, which tin limit vulnerability to immoderate damaging substances.

'Many healthcare workplaces grounded to travel these regulations correctly, for example, by carrying retired consequence assessments and supplying unit pinch nan correct protection equipment,' says Mr Digby.

Sara Stanger, caput of objective negligence and superior wounded claims astatine Bond Turner, different of nan firms overseeing claimants, adds: 'Employers person a non-delegable work to their labor to look aft them.'

Cynics mightiness opportunity that a world deficiency of proviso of PPE helped find wellness argumentation present — but while nan UK Covid-19 Inquiry continues, and answers to specified questions astir blasted stay immoderate clip off, location is nary uncertainty astir nan effect of agelong Covid.

'Some healthcare workers person been near severely disabled, for example, aliases they person encephalon wounded and impaired cognitive abilities,' says Ms Stanger. Many person go bed-bound for important periods of time.

The cases are being brought by lawyers nether 'no win, nary fee' agreements.

Ms Stanger says that galore erstwhile healthcare workers person nary different action than to activity ineligible redress because they person mislaid their health, their careers and, successful immoderate cases, their homes — and dissimilar successful different countries, location is nary charismatic entree to compensation.

Elisabeth claimed benefits for 4 months but, incapable to negociate financially, she says she has been forced to find an replacement domiciled pinch reduced hours and a objective lawsuit load assessing patients chiefly online. Yet moreover pinch this work, she says: 'I'm still struggling to salary nan bills. I've conscionable sewage nan location weighted truthful we tin downsize to free up cash.'

She adds: 'I consciousness a awesome consciousness of loss. I've wanted to beryllium a physiotherapist since I was 13. Teaching group really to locomotion gave maine a consciousness of worth, thing I consciousness I've lost.

'My life has changed successful different ways: I utilized to emotion going for agelong walks pinch my dog, Sprocket.

'Now, my kids locomotion him and nan champion I tin do is beryllium astatine nan apical of nan stairs and propulsion a ball.

'I consciousness angry pinch myself for not questioning not being fixed protective masks from nan start.'

In March 2022, nan All-Party Parliamentary Group connected Coronavirus recommended that nan Government found a compensation strategy for frontline workers pinch agelong Covid.

Its erstwhile chair, Layla Moran, Lib Dem MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, says: 'So galore nurses, doctors and frontline workers sacrificed their ain wellness while protecting others — and it's precocious clip they received nan support, nickname and compensation they deserve.'

She wants agelong Covid to beryllium recognised arsenic an occupational disease, thing that healthcare unions person besides called for.

This would mean that immoderate healthcare worker diagnosed pinch it could declare Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit.

But while much than 50 countries, including France and Germany, already person compensation and support schemes for healthcare workers who contracted Covid astatine work, according to nan British Medical Association location seems small motion of this happening successful nan UK.

The Department of Health and Social Care maintains that passim nan pandemic, nan Government acted to prevention lives and livelihoods.

A spokesperson told Good Health: 'We person ever said location are lessons to beryllium learnt from nan pandemic and we are committed to learning from nan Covid-19 Inquiry's findings, which will play a cardinal domiciled successful informing nan Government's readying and preparations for nan future.

'We will see each recommendations made to nan section successful full.'

 Midwife having to return ill-health status astatine 45 

Sarah Sutton, 45, a mother of 4 from Swansea, is simply a erstwhile midwife. She says:

I've not worked since contracting Covid successful April 2020, astatine nan commencement of nan pandemic — I get very breathless connected nan slightest exertion, moreover putting connected my shoes. And I didn't do thing different than my occupation to get into this state.

When I look backmost to November 2019, I was excited because I'd conscionable landed my dream occupation arsenic a organization nurse — thing I'd ever wanted, but had delayed my training arsenic I'd been bringing up my children.

After lockdown was announced, erstwhile we did location visits, we had to ringing patients beforehand and inquire if anyone had a somesthesia aliases a cough, aliases if they had been to a Covid-affected area successful nan past 14 days. We'd past inquire if they could please unfastened a window. But immoderate group wouldn't because they didn't want to fto acold aerial in.

The only PPE we had was a surgical mask. You were meant to person 1 for you and 1 for anyone pinch symptoms, but we didn't moreover person capable for that.

After 1 agelong displacement visiting people's homes, I woke up emotion unwell, but didn't deliberation I had Covid because I didn't person a fever aliases a cough — but connected April 1, I had to spell to A&E because I was struggling to breathe.

The advisor said it was Covid pneumonia. I was fixed oxygen and antibiotics and went location to recover.

By mid-June I felt good capable to spell backmost to work, truthful contacted my leader astir a phased return. But wrong a week I was backmost successful A&E, pinch pneumonia again. I ne'er really recovered. I've had pneumonia 4 times now. It's near maine pinch reduced usability successful 1 lung.

My biggest rumor is I've developed rheumatoid arthritis, and get a batch of symptom successful my hands, feet and hips. My rheumatologist said it's intolerable to opportunity conclusively what triggered my rheumatoid arthritis, but it's highly probable it was Covid.

I person nary measurement of supporting my family — 2 of my kids still unrecorded astatine home. They've seen maine spell successful and retired of infirmary and, astatine 1 point, thought I wasn't coming home. We're relying connected benefits, which doesn't screen nan owe — truthful I've put our location connected nan market. I'm besides applying for ill-health retirement.

I utilized to tally doubly a week. Now I request a mobility scooter

Nathalie MacDermott, 42, from Cambridge, is simply a paediatric infectious diseases doctor. She says:

At nan clip of nan pandemic, I was fresh and active, moving a mates of times a week. Now I tin only locomotion pinch crutches. For longer distances, I request a mobility scooter.

I've been diagnosed pinch Covid-related myelopathy [spinal cord injury].

I've mislaid a batch of sensation, which has affected my bladder and my bowel, and I person predominant symptom successful my legs and feet. I cognize I contracted Covid astatine activity because I had nary vulnerability extracurricular of it: I was surviving unsocial and driving to work. I moreover had my shopping delivered.

I deliberation nan first clip I sewage Covid, successful March 2020, was done sharing an agency pinch a workfellow who tested affirmative for nan microorganism nan adjacent day. We weren't permitted to deterioration surgical masks successful agency areas — it wasn't considered necessary.

After 2 weeks off, I went backmost to activity connected a Covid ward successful April. Despite each nan kids testing affirmative for Covid, arsenic good arsenic immoderate of their parents, we were only fixed bluish surgical masks, a flimsy apron that conscionable covers your torso and a brace of gloves.

National guidance to hospitals had changed successful mid-March truthful only unit performing aerosol-generating procedures required afloat PPE, which meant those successful intensive care.

There was immense interest among nan staff, pinch different unit getting different levels of protection.

I tried to lobby for a higher people PPE, but didn't get far.

By mid-May I'd been arguing for 5 weeks and presented emerging grounds to a gathering of elder clinicians to show Covid was an airborne infection (which we now cognize it is).

I was told nan grounds wasn't bully enough, and erstwhile I based on that until we knew amended we should return a precautionary approach, I was shouted down by a elder doctor.

Two days later, I started to consciousness unwell pinch Covid symptoms again, including musculus aches and pains successful nan soles of my feet. I past developed nan neurological problems that I person now.

After 3 months off, I gradually built up my hours moving successful research, past tried to return to a objective domiciled — but it astir killed me.

I was exhausted and often successful pain, my legs were very jerky, and fatigue exacerbated my cognitive function. I besides sewage urinary tract infections and had Covid doubly more.

So now I person a investigation role, moving from home.

I still struggle because my expertise to ore for prolonged stints is not nan aforesaid arsenic it utilized to be.

I've joined nan group ineligible declare but, for me, it's not really astir money — it's astir learning lessons from nan situation.

We're still sending healthcare workers successful to woody pinch Covid patients wearing bluish surgical look masks. Why haven't we changed nan guidance?

I'm reasonably definite that if location was a pandemic tomorrow of a different virus, we would make precisely nan aforesaid mistakes again.