Mum-of-three on her long Covid 'rollercoaster'

For many, the Covid pandemic may feel like a thing of the past. But for Jess Andrewartha it remains an everyday nightmare.

Mrs Andrewartha, from Cam, Gloucestershire, first caught Covid in March 2020. Unlike most people, she never recovered.

Fatigue and brain fog – symptoms of long Covid – have made it impossible for the mother-of-three to work, and on certain days she uses a mobility scooter.

"My mental health has been a bit of a rollercoaster," said the 46-year-old. "It's very difficult to accept what's happened and to feel worthwhile. I'm not the mum, friend, daughter, or family member that I just want to be."

Jess said she led an active life with her children before she contracted Covid, doing everything from regular walks to ice skating and trampolining.

She worked as a playgroup worker and spent most of her spare time looking after her children, who are aged six, 10 and 13.

"I was fun and we could be spontaneous," she said. "We'd dance around the kitchen – all the things you do with a young family. And the children lost that person overnight almost."

She said she started to feel the symptoms of long Covid a month after initially falling ill, and was then left bedbound for months.

"I had an awful headache," Jess said. "I couldn't listen to any sounds or cope with any lights. I could barely get to the toilet.

"I couldn't walk down the corridor to say goodnight to my children."

Five years later, she is still struggling. "The energy I do have goes to my children and looking after them," Jess said.

"I have to have a much slower pace of life. I use a mobility scooter if we go anywhere that involves a lot of walking.

"I just have to plan everything and pace myself, trying to do one or two things a day that I can manage."

Despite the challenges, she tries to stay hopeful.

"I don't blame people for moving on and trying to forget about it because it was so difficult," she said.

"People want to live their lives, but this still affects me and my family every day.

"I feel like, at the moment, I'm not going to get any better than I am, so it's a difficult thing to think about.

"I really hope that there are treatments and medicines available soon. I just don't know if that is possible."

Long Covid is a chronic condition induced by Covid-19 infection, with symptoms including fatigue, feeling short of breath, brain fog, and heart palpitations.

It is estimated that just under two million people in the UK are living with long Covid, experiencing symptoms such as extreme fatigue, shortness of breath, and cognitive issues.

Almost one in 10 people in England think they could have long Covid, according to analysis of national data.

The Department of Health and Social Care has said it acknowledges the severe impact of long Covid and is committed to ensuring quality services are available across the country.

Because there is no single treatment, it is funding research to better understand and manage the condition.

Meanwhile, many have turned to community centres for support.

Audrey Harris, who ran a Covid support group at GL11 Community Hub in Gloucestershire, saw first-hand how devastating the condition could be.

"Some of it was absolutely heartbreaking," said Mrs Harris, who is head of relationships at GL11 Community Hub.

"People's relationships were breaking down, people were losing their jobs, they just weren't able to function," she said.

Although the support group closed after two years, Audrey has now secured funding to restart it.

"The need is still there," she said. "Covid hasn't gone away. There are still people getting long Covid. It came five years ago, and it's become part of our society.

"For some people, it's completely changed everything. They've been unwell and never recovered.

"To say it's gone away is quite short-sighted, because for a lot of people, that's not the case."

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