Impact of Long Covid on family life
In this section we cover: The impact of Long Covid on family roles How parents with Long Covid try to explain its effects to their...
Long Covid affected people’s working lives in different ways. Some people were not working at the time of the interview. Other people were still able to work. Some needed time off after getting Covid, and then returned on a part-time basis, at least to start with. This could help them to manage their health day to day and support their recovery.
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People who had been back at work since having Long Covid told us about how they found some things very difficult. Some had difficulties with using a computer screen or sitting upright at a desk for long periods. People with ‘brain fog’ could find it difficult to do any mentally demanding tasks, like making decisions or putting their thoughts into words. Chris said, “I wasn’t anywhere as efficient”. Ellis felt frustrated from not being as “sharp” as normal because “that side of me is impaired.” The impact of their symptoms affected people’s confidence in their ability to do their job and took away some of the enjoyment of work.
Work can be very important for people and can have positive health and other benefits. However, some people thought in hindsight that going back to work before being fully ready may have caused setbacks in their recovery. Casey tried going back to work after four weeks off but they “just absolutely crashed after a few weeks [and] that was when I realised that I was going to have to take a long period of time off”. Some people said they had tried to return to work too early because they wanted to get back to ‘normal’ or for practical reasons or because they felt that they had no choice. Remi had no option but to return to work when their sick leave ended. They said dealing with work and their symptoms was “really distressing”.
Sometimes it was healthcare professionals who strongly advised people that they needed to take time off work or to take more time off if going back to work had caused their symptoms to worsen again. Oli said their GP advised them to take at least twelve months off work and to be prepared for “not going back [to work] in the same capacity.” Wynn tried twice to go back to work gradually.
Some people described the process of providing their employer with regular sick lines as stressful. Arden actually said it was one of the very hard things to deal with because of the uncertainty of what their symptoms would be like.
People told us about changes they had made to try to manage their work alongside their Long Covid symptoms. Pat had to change their job role. Some people had to reduce their hours or work flexible hours so they could ‘pace’ themselves or stop when they felt unwell.
Some people experienced worsening symptoms despite having made changes to try to protect their health at work.
Because of the newness of Long Covid, people spoke about employers being unsure how to handle it and not having sick leave or occupational health policies which take account of Long Covid. People also said that the unpredictable and variable nature of Long Covid made it hard for people with Long Covid to predict how much work they could do from one week to the next and for workplaces to plan for employees with the condition.
There were people we spoke to who said they felt well supported by their employer in trying to manage their Long Covid symptoms at work. We spoke to people whose workplaces offered adjustments that might help, such as working from home, changing hours, changing roles, and taking frequent breaks. It made a huge positive difference to people when they felt believed and supported by their employer. Riley said: “I’m very lucky actually that management has not questioned anything, they’ve been 100% supportive, which has been a huge relief and it makes a big difference”. The support of family, friends, and healthcare professionals was also important in enabling some people to return to work.
Unfortunately, other people reported less positive experiences with their employer. Some felt there was a lack of understanding of the support that people with Long Covid need when they return to work because it is an ‘invisible’ condition. Bobbie said it was “hard to take” the fact that, other than decreasing their working days, no adjustments were being made to accommodate their Long Covid at work. They said: “Because if I’d gone back to work in a wheelchair, obviously adjustments would be made. So, I do feel it’s almost like a disability, but there’s no adjustments that will be made for it.” Ellis and Taylor voiced similar concerns.
Others felt their need for time off was being questioned and doubted by employers. Arden found it stressful dealing with the uncertainty of their symptoms and said their line manager seemed to imply that maybe they were trying to take advantage of the system. Ali was dismissed from their job after having Covid.
People told us they had worried about whether they would ever be able to fully return to work and how they would cope, including financially, if they couldn’t go back to their previous job roles. Find out more about people’s thoughts about the future.
In this section we cover: The impact of Long Covid on family roles How parents with Long Covid try to explain its effects to their...
This section explores how people’s ongoing Long Covid symptoms have affected their family’s financial situation. This topic is split into the following areas: Impact on...