Weymouth teen to travel 300 miles for long Covid treatment

Living with Long Covid for four years has been “horrible,” said a teenager.

Molly, who lives in Weymouth, now is 16 years old and is rarely out. When he does, he needs the help of a wheelchair while he gets tired carefully.

Without the dedicated support of NHS in Dorset, he plans to travel to Liverpool to attend a private clinic.

She said she has “two good days a week, maybe three, and the rest I am closed.”

Molly said the condition had made her feel “closed of friends, school, anything.”

“It affects me every day, whatever you do,” he continued.

“They are really severe fatigue symptoms to heart palpitations, fainting, I have had seizures and allergic reactions.

“It’s just about brain communications through the nervous system that does not work coincidentally, sending the wrong signals, which makes it really uncomfortable for people like us we live with that.”

In November 2023, the Post Covid Dorset Syndrome Service, a Covid Long clinic where Molly was receiving care, stopped her service for pediatric patients, just taking adults.

On the other hand, children and young people were transmitted to a chronic fatigue service.

But Molly said she wasn’t equipped to deal with Long Covid’s complexities and left her without specialized attention.

“I really fought with that because everyone is still suffering, why have they closed it?” Molly asked.

“The fact that pandemic was not meant that people with a long covid, all their symptoms, not simply disappear, and that was really difficult.”

The Post Covid Dorset Syndrome Service is now closing for adults since June 30.

NHS DORSET has said: “We are leading a job to ensure that people who are currently backed by the service have access to the help they need, possibly through alternative routes or a different service model.

“At this stage of the process, it would be inappropriate to share thesis details. When we have a confirmed solution, we will inform patients.”

In the absence of specialized support, Molly and his family have been doing what they can.

A support dog called Woody now helps at home.

But in July, Molly will travel 300 miles (480 km) to Liverpool to a private clinic, because the family cannot find help nearby.

Molly said she expected a treatment for Long Covid, but in the meantime she wanted “doctors and hospitals to really be educated about it, and so that we were not judged.”