'I have been left to rot since end of pandemic'

Charlotte says long Covid has taken her dream life

- BY HELENA VESTY & CAITLIN LENG

A YOUNG woman who has been left bedbound with a full-time carer after a bad bout of Covid said the government has left patients to 'rot' since the pandemic ended.

Charlotte Hoyle said the life she dreamed of has been 'lost' after the virus left her with debilitating symptoms including memory loss, extreme fatigue and muscle aches.

More than three years on, she is furious as she claims long Covid clinics 'are even being shut down now.'

The 34-year-old, who was a second-year psychology student when she fell ill, now has a full-time carer and can only leave bed to bathe and use the toilet.

She claims she endured a year-long wait for an initial diagnosis of fibromyalgia and she is still undergoing tests to establish if she has chronic fatigue syndrome.

She believes both were triggered by Covid-19.

"I was a full-time psychology student at the University of Huddersfield when this all started," she said.

"I was happy and I was enjoying life on my new career path.

"I loved doing yoga, singing, spending time with family. Prior to Covid I was ambitious and health-conscious."

Charlotte, from Rochdale, initially contracted the virus in December 2022.

But by February 2023, she said she developed debilitating symptoms which felt like a 'mix between extreme flu and an extreme hangover.'

"I had the virus previously - but this time it felt different," she added. "My heart rate was extremely high and I struggled to breathe.

"I went to my GP, but I had to wait five months before being referred to a long Covid clinic.

"The clinic then referred me to a specialist for further investigation, but it took another six months to see them."

During this time, in early 2023, Charlotte said she developed around 30 'debilitating health conditions,' which ranged from early-onset dementia, extreme fatigue and severe body aches.