The impact of Long Covid on people in Louth raised in the Dail

The impact of Long Covid on people in Louth was raised by Dundalk TD Ruairí Ó Murchú last week during a motion on the illness and the need for more supports for those who suffer from it.

The motion, which was brought by the Regional Group, was supported by Sinn Féin.

Deputy Ó Murchú highlighted the case of a Louth teacher, Liz, who had contracted Long Covid after she picked up the virus in her primary school classroom.

He said the illness has had a devastating impact on the teacher, physically, mentally and financially.

Deputy Ó Murchú said: "We need supports for those who are suffering from long Covid. Some of them got Covid doing work society deemed necessary.

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"I received a letter from Mary on behalf of her sister, Liz. It says: ‘My sister, Liz, is a 56-year-old primary school Special Education teacher who contracted Covid-19 in a school in December 2021.

"She is now suffering from severe Long Covid symptoms and has been off work since. Her life is seriously impacted with ongoing long term chronic health issues and serious financial concerns.

"Because she is unable to work, she is seriously stressed about her future, her pension and the fact that her illness is not recognised as an occupational injury, which impacts her entitlement to financial cover for periods off work.

"Because of Long Covid, the cost to her of medical appointments, scans and medicines since December last is in excess of €3,000 and climbing, at a time when her financial future is increasingly unclear.

"More importantly, and more distressing for those of us who care about Liz, is the life-limiting effects of this horrible disease. An active, life-loving person in her mid-50s is reduced to a life of exhaustion, brain fog, breathlessness, memory issues, pain and distress, with no end in sight.

"This is compounded by months of being referred from one organisation or service to another as each absolves themselves from responsibility by referring her on.

"The response from others is to send endless paperwork and forms to a person with a seriously-reduced ability to absorb detail and to action any of these processes,"

Deputy Ó Murchú said: "This is not good enough. I could continue. We can all imagine. We are failing Liz and we need to do something about it."