On Monday 16th of May, Central Suffolk and North Ipswich MP, Dr Dan Poulter attended a meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Coronavirus, on Best for Britain, to discuss the effects of Long Covid.

Coronavirus has affected some 1.8 million people in the United Kingdom and has had lasting effects on those individuals experiencing Long Covid. The APPG is asking the Government to invest £100 million in Long Covid research in order to develop better treatments for symptoms. If the Government does not respond to this request, the APPG fears that it could have devastating impacts on the wider workforce.

The APPG is recommending that the Government recognises Long Covid as an occupational disease in order to provide protection for employees. It is also recommending longer compensation for employees currently living with the illness, as it is more helpful for individuals to completely rest in order to make a full recovery, rather than ignoring their chronic symptoms and continuing work.   The APPG has also recommended that It is important to look closely at children’s symptoms as they can be quite different from adult symptoms. The UK Government is advised to make recommendations to schools about how to treat children experiencing long symptoms, as well as make GPs more aware and supporting children.

The APPG is hopeful for more answers through research about Long Covid with the Government’s support.

To hear the full report: LIVE PANEL: Where are we on Long Covid? - YouTube