Dr Amir Khan says a lack of knowledge around long Covid is a ‘massive issue’ for patients with the condition. He also revealed he sometimes feels ‘really helpless’ seeing patients with the condition, though it remains important to come forward for help if you have symptoms, as treatment can help.
The NHS explains that long Covid, or post-Covid syndrome, occurs when Covid-19 symptoms last for longer than twelve weeks. Symptoms could include fatigue, joint pain, shortness of breath, or brain fog. While treatment is available, and anyone with health concerns should talk to a GP, Dr Amir Khan says more investment is needed to better understand and manage the condition.
The NHS GP and television doctor discussed the challenges associated with treating long Covid patients during a guest appearance on the Bold Politics podcast. In the course of the discussion, Dr Amir was questioned about long Covid patients who might feel overlooked in public discourse, and he expressed empathy for people living with the condition, which currently has no cure.
Dr Amir told listeners: “Long Covid is a really poorly understood condition, and it’s a multisystem complex issue, and it will affect everyone differently. You know, everyone has a different version of long Covid because it is so multisystem, it is so inflammatory. It can cause so many different things to go wrong at the same time, and you’re left with these conditions that nobody really wants to touch because there hasn’t been enough investment in the understanding, but also the management.”
The GP claimed: “There used to be a long Covid service at most hospitals where it was run by the respiratory team, perhaps, and they would take care of it. All of that seems to have just melted away. And because, like I said, long Covid can affect your brain, your lungs, your skin, your joints, it can affect so many things, your mental health, but also how fatigued you are, we haven’t got one group of people looking after it.”
Dr Amir explained that if he saw a patient presenting with long Covid, he might need to refer them to multiple departments, such as rheumatology for joint pain and respiratory for lung problems. He said: “We’ve got these people who were really well and healthy a few years ago who are now, you know, very affected by their symptoms, and a lot of them have lost their independence and their ability to earn as a result of it. We haven’t got anything in place to look after them.”
The doctor continued: “We’re talking about adults, but it can affect children as well. And so, it’s a real problem. They come in, I feel really helpless when I see them, to be honest, because I know it’s one of those consultations where I know, yes, I can listen to them and yes, I can empathise with them.
“But there’s very limited things I can do to help them because giving them painkillers isn’t going to be the long-term answer. And we don’t know enough about the condition to know which specific medication might help reverse some of their symptoms. And that’s a massive issue for them. So they have been left in limbo.”
