A Perth man who lost his job to long Covid says more people need to be aware of how tough life can be for those with the little-understood condition.
In March 2020, Ben Finch, 46, from Bertha Park got infected with Covid-19 and became “extremely ill”.
But unlike others, Mr Finch didn’t get better.
Now more than two years on he is still suffering from fatigue and brain fog.
And while many Scots want life to be back to normal, more than 3,100 people are getting infected with the virus every day.
On top of this, 165,000 people in Scotland have now reported having long Covid – including 10,000 new cases in the last month alone.
‘I realised something was seriously wrong’
When Mr Finch first got infected he had problems breathing and a couple of weeks later got secondary pneumonia.
He said: “I was struggling for breath – one time I was with the kids and I was laughing so much I couldn’t breathe and I fainted.
“I went to the supermarket 100 metres away and I had to stop on the way because it was so exhausting.
“I work in IT and my job is solving problems, but my brain was just not working.
“Long Covid didn’t exist back then and I thought I was not getting enough sleep because we had a new baby.
“But then I went to see my parents and on the way home I got completely lost.
“I couldn’t figure out how to get back and I was in a complete panic.
“That is when I realised something was seriously wrong.”
‘There is not a lot of support’
Mr Finch ended up losing his job, which he blamed on the impact of long covid symptoms.
Employers need to know more about long Covid and how it affects people.”
– Ben Finch
He says there is a general lack of support for people like him.
Mr Finch said: “I got another job but I struggled to do what I needed to do so I had to take a step down from my senior position, which was a big change in salary as well.
“This is possibly going to be there for the rest of my life and there is not a lot of support from anywhere.
“I don’t have any energy to play with my kids or go out with them – my ability to do what I want is now curtailed by this disability.”
‘Massive hit to finances’
Mr Finch has written to deputy first minister John Swinney – in charge of the country’s Covid recovery – to highlight problems with the level of sick leave in Scotland.
“Because of my sickness record I now go onto statutory sick pay which is a massive hit to my finances,” he said.
“So I try not to be off sick, which makes me push through and then makes things worse and impacts on my family life.
“The biggest thing that needs to change is education.
“Employers need to know more about long Covid and how it affects people.”
Mr Finch’s plea comes as Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton tells First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to act in response to the growing number of long covid sufferers.
He said: “The SNP and Greens have ignored their pleas for help and categorically failed all those whose lives have been completely ripped apart by the condition.
“How many more must suffer before the Scottish Government wakes up?
“People can’t wait any longer for long Covid clinics and in-home support.”
MSPs heard further concerns last month in a special one-off session with sufferers.
The Scottish Government was contacted for comment.