Members of a Long Covid support group have called for a survey to determine the number of people in the island who are suffering with the illness in an effort to help design new health care guidance.

Long Covid is described as symptoms persisting for more than four weeks after the first suspected coronavirus infection that cannot be explained by something else.

According to the UK Office of National Statistics, at the start of May, an estimated one million people living in private households in the UK were experiencing self-reported Long Covid.

Of this number, 63.7% experienced at least some limitation to their day-to-day activities as a result, with 18.8% reporting that their day-to-day activities had been limited a lot.

Using this approach, the support group Covid Recovery Isle of Man has determined there may be between 200 and 400 people on the island suffering with Long Covid.

There has been no survey yet on the island to confirm this or assess need - something which campaigners argue is vitally needed.

After 10 years of campaigning by ME (myalgic encephalomyelitis - often better known as chronic fatigue syndrome, or CFS) patients, as well as newer Long Covid patients, a new approach to health care services in the island was promised in a Tynwald debate on May 19.

The Health Minister confirmed an integrated service would be introduced to cover both ME and Long Covid, with focus on practical therapy and the education of medical professionals to give the right advice.

However the actual figure of those who would require such services is unclear.

An online survey recently closed on May 31 in Guernsey, which aimed to find out the impact Covid had on islanders there.

Dr Nicola Brink, Guernsey’s director of public health, said: ’It is really important that we know how Covid-19 impacted on those who contracted the virus.

’Not only will this inform how we tailor services and support to islanders who may contract [coronavirus] in the future, it will give us information on the long-term impact of the virus on individuals.’

Covid Recovery IOM is calling for a similar approach here, stating they want the government to ’Count the numbers of people here with symptoms, and [assess] how badly they are affected.’

A government spokesperson responded to these calls, saying: ’Manx Care has formulated a business case which will further develop the ME/CFS services in the island, and formally establish a Long Covid service.

’They are combined for business planning purposes, but in practice these will be separate services, albeit with some overlap.

’The proposed service will be primarily based on published clinical evidence around the best service configuration, but Manx Care will be happy to work with local ME/CFS and Long Covid special interest groups to tailor the service to local requirements.’

Alice Quayle, a member of the support group, said: ’We do hope that the new promised service goes ahead so that as many people as possible can try to get back to the life and work they had before.’