The 23rd of March 2020, the date Boris Johnson announced the UK's first lockdown. From this evening, I must give the British people a very simple instruction. You must stay at home. As life for the majority of us has returned to normal, those early days of the pandemic can feel like a distant memory. But for the 2 million people in the UK who experienced self-reported long COVID symptoms, COVID-19 is still very present and for many it remains devastating. This is The Guardian.
In this episode from March 2023, Ian Sample hears from Scotland’s Astronomer Royal, Prof Catherine Heymans, about her experience of long Covid and how it has affected her life. He also speaks to Prof Danny Altmann, an immunologist at Imperial College London, about the scientific understanding of the condition, and whether we’re any closer to a treatment. Help support our independent journalism at
theguardian.com/sciencepod