BMJ: Long COVID: the doctors’ lives destroyed by an illness they caught while doing their jobs

[Countrygirl]

Feature Covid-19

https://www.bmj.com/content/382/bmj.p1983

Long COVID: the doctors’ lives destroyed by an illness they caught while doing their jobs​

BMJ 2023; 382 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.p1983 (Published 20 September 2023)Cite this as: BMJ 2023;3821983

Linked Opinion​

As a doctor with long covid, I feel abandoned by the NHS

Unable to work or to play with their children, forced to sell their homes or facing insolvency—doctors with long covid deserve more support from the government and the NHS, writes Adele Waters
When Kelly Fearnley first stepped on to a surgical ward as a doctor at Bradford Royal Infirmary in August 2020 her head was still buzzing with delight at having finally achieved her dream of qualifying in medicine.

As a mature student she had financed herself through a medical degree by working shifts as a pharmacy assistant. Now, aged 34, she was ready to get stuck into her foundation training.
Early months were spent dealing with emergency surgical patients but by autumn, as the second wave of covid-19 struck, the hospital opened several covid wards and she was deployed to work on one of them.
She remembers: “I walked onto the ward full of covid patients to find only plastic pinnies and flimsy blue surgical masks. I’d expected long sleeved surgical gowns and FFP3 masks. I remember asking a senior nurse where the other masks were. She replied, ‘These are the ones we’re using now.’
“I spent 10 hours a day for five consecutive days surrounded by infectious patients so I was subjected to high viral loads on a ward with no ventilation and an absence of respiratory protective equipment.
“It was essentially a covid soup.”

The next week Fearnley tested positive for covid-19, and three weeks later she became severely unwell. She hasn’t worked since. Because of long covid, Fearnley has been forced to relinquish her provisional registration and is currently not able to work as a doctor.
“I’m living with my dad—which is obviously not where you want to be at 37 years old—and my ability to earn a living has been taken away. I’ve opted to take a 12 month career break in the hope of recovering sufficiently to return to training, but my long term career is at risk.

“All my plans to work, save, and buy a house have been shelved.”
Fearnley co-founded a support network in August last year with fellow doctor Shaun Qureshi after meeting others in the same position on social media. Long Covid Doctors For Action (LCD4A) campaigns for greater recognition of long covid and its impact on doctors’ health and careers.
“Some doctors have been forced to sell their homes and a growing number face financial destitution,” she says.

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One in 25 healthcare workers affected​

 

[Treeman]

It's not just health workers. My wife was a key worker, a teacher and caught COVID 19 Jan 21, before any vaccines where available teaching other key workers kids.

6 months later they terminated her contract. A lot more harsh than the treatment giving to health workers. 34 months later she's still suffering and housebound.

She didn't even get a round of applause for her commitment. So much for a carrying and compassionate UK government.

 

[BrightCandle]

How many of those doctors have dismissed ME/CFS and Long Covid patients over the years,how many thousands abused? My sympathy continues to lie with the victims not the perpetrators of this crime against humanity. The reasons there are no treatments and no recognition are entirely theirs. I get the population can be rattled for sympathy because most haven't been the victim of the healthcare systems abuse but I will never forgive any of the 108 doctors who dismissed and abused me, I will seek justice until my dying day even if they are too unwell to be in jail they still belong there.

Doctors still aren't masking, they are harassing patients that are trying to protect themselves as well. They certainly haven't got the message it could be them yet, it shows just how deep the belief is that is a mental illness and not a physical disease. Healthcare hasn't yet done much other than fire after extended leave doctors and nurses whom got Long Covid and can't return to work, phased returns with increasing activity are the only option. There are zero signs healthcare is aware or cares about the damage its doing to patients and staff. Masks have disappeared around immune compromised people, in cancer wards! They used to be there before the pandemic. This is a crisis of their own making.

 

[Judee]

I've had some mean doctors but also ones who were caring but clueless. The primary doctor I had for over 25 years was nice.

He tried to help by testing me for things like Myasthenia Gravis, Immunoglobulin deficiencies and Celiac. And even though his training said when it wasn't something like those, it could mean depression, he'd only offer the meds. He never pushed or made me feel bad for not taking them.

Anyway, I wouldn't want to think of him or his family getting this.

 

[Rufous McKinney]

I know of several people who all have some type of post-COVID problem.

It's interesting how they insist it's not a post-COVID problem.

so figure this number of one in twenty five includes another large cohort IN DENIAL. Whatever is wrong, well it must just be something "else". They don't wanna ever be US.

 

[Treeman]

I heard that 18 million in Europe and 20 million in the USA are suffering with long COVID.

No small numbers.

 

[Viala]

Unable to work or to play with their children, forced to sell their homes or facing insolvency—doctors with long covid deserve more support from the government and the NHS

That's the fate of millions people sick with ME/CFS and it's been happening for decades, we all deserve support.

Some doctors have been forced to sell their homes and a growing number face financial destitution,

Meanwhile a lot of doctors in the place where I live thanks to covid bought new fancy homes and cars. It's been a great time for them and some even said it out loud. Not to say that they shouldn't earn well, but that's not what's supposed to be happening, not like this. They are not the most disadvantaged group.

 

[Treeman]

Meanwhile a lot of doctors in the place where I live thanks to covid bought new fancy homes and cars. It's been a great time for them and some even said it out loud. Not to say that they shouldn't earn well, but that's not what's supposed to be happening, not like this. They are not the most disadvantaged group.

The average income across the whole of the UK is approximately £26,500. Dr's and consultants are holding a series of strikes because their salaries (for consultants) are approximately £125,000, and not enough. Waiting lists are growing and people are dying. I just think it's greed and not compassion they are showing.

 

[Viala]

The average income across the whole of the UK is approximately £26,500. Dr's and consultants are holding a series of strikes because their salaries (for consultants) are approximately £125,000, and not enough. Waiting lists are growing and people are dying. I just think it's greed and not compassion they are showing.

£125,000 is enough to live a very good life. I also think it's greed, I don't recall any doctors protest when thousands of people were dying denied lawful access to medical help, only a few said something, the only protest they had was when they wanted more money.

 

[hapl808]

£125,000 is enough to live a very good life. I also think it's greed, I don't recall any doctors protest when thousands of people were dying denied lawful access to medical help, only a few said something, the only protest they had was when they wanted more money.

And even worse in the USA, where doctors often oppose national healthcare because they're worried they won't be able to make $400k. Of course they claim their opposition is because somehow we'll get worse doctors if they're only paid $250k.