The recent Royal College of Nursing’s (RCN) report on the experiences of nurses with Long Covid shines a light on systemic failures that cannot be ignored. Many nurses, once hailed as heroes on the frontline, have been let down by their employers and government policy. The report shows that almost 60% of members surveyed felt their employers had failed to take adequate preventative measures during the pandemic, and more than 65% said they had not received an individual risk assessment before contracting COVID-19. These findings show a worrying disregard for the safety and wellbeing of healthcare professionals.
Further, the financial and professional impact of Long Covid is severe, with almost 70% of respondents reporting loss of earnings and many expressing despair at being pressurised to return to work. Despite their dedication, these nurses face significant barriers to accessing appropriate occupational health support and often feel abandoned in managing their condition. This is unacceptable in a profession that is already struggling with staff shortages and burnout.
We welcome the RCN’s report and its recommendations, which call for Long Covid to be recognised as an occupational disease, better support in the workplace and financial protection for affected employees. These steps are crucial to addressing the ongoing challenges faced by healthcare workers with Long Covid and ensuring that their contribution is valued. It is imperative that the government and the NHS implement these recommendations to safeguard the wellbeing of healthcare workers and retain this vital workforce.
Report available at: https://www.rcn.org.uk/Professional-Development/publications/rcn-member-experiences-of-long-covid-uk-pub-011-838
Durham County Department of Public Health have produced a great video demonstrating that covid and many other viruses are airborne. The video is less than two minutes long. An airborne virus is a virus that can infect other people through particles in the air, sometimes for hours after the sick person has left the area! […]
This narrative review shows that POTS, ME/CFS and Long COVID are closely related conditions that share common biological mechanisms. The authors explain that problems with the autonomic nervous system, immune dysregulation and autoimmunity, mitochondrial dysfunction, reduced blood flow to the brain, and neuroinflammation all play a role. POTS and ME/CFS are identified as the most […]
Summary: Comparing Long Covid symptoms between patients that received COVID-19 vaccinations and those that did not. Study by Pasculli et. al., (2025) summarised by Amanda Harrington-Vail Introduction Since the COVID-19 pandemic was officially declared, almost 780 million cases and nearly 7 million deaths have been reported worldwide. Although COVID-19 vaccination has reduced the risk of […]
