'I've been bedbound since catching Covid in 2022'

A doctor who was left bedbound following a Covid infection has said he feels "abandoned" by the government.

Dr Alexis Gilbert, 41, from Burley in Wharfedale in West Yorkshire, caught the virus in July 2022 but continues to live with debilitating symptoms, including fatigue, pain and brain fog.

Long Covid adversely affects the day-to-day activities of 1.5million people in England and Scotland, according to the most recent official figures.

The government said it was "committed" to ensuring there were "quality services" across the country for people suffering from long Covid.

Before he fell ill, Dr Gilbert was helping to lead the fight against the pandemic as a consultant in public health based in Leeds.

The father-of-two's initial infection left him feeling unwell for a couple of weeks before his condition started to improve.

Then the symptoms started to return, eventually leading to a month-long hospital admission.

"Suddenly I was so fatigued I couldn't get out of bed," Dr Gilbert said.

"The symptoms just started piling up."

Dr Gilbert has since been diagnosed with illnesses including long Covid and ME, which is also known as chronic fatigue syndrome.

He is now seeking medical retirement from his job and struggles to see his children.

"Being a dad was always the most important part of my life and I feel like I've lost that," he said.

"I feel like I'm not the parent I want to be and I'm not the partner I want to be.

"I can't do any of the things I want to do in the wider world either – being a friend, being a son, being a doctor."

An estimated two million people in England and Scotland have self-reported long Covid - defined as symptoms which have lasted more than four weeks - according to analysis by the Office for National Statistics and UK Health Security Agency.

Dr Gilbert said he felt "ignored" by the last government and "abandoned" by the current one.

"I think most of the world wants to get on with ignoring Covid and forgetting about the pandemic.

"I've lived like this for two or three years and the thought of living like this for another two or three years is completely overwhelming, never mind a decade or longer," he said.

A government spokesperson said: "We are committed to ensuring there are quality services across the country for people suffering with long Covid, which we know can have a debilitating impact on people's physical and mental health.

"NHS England has rolled out a range of support for staff with long Covid and other conditions.

"No single treatment currently exists for the condition, which is why we are funding research into it.

"We are also joining up health and employment support so people with long term conditions can stay in work and get back into work."