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Covid Inquiry Press Release - 3rd October 2023

Updated: 5 days ago

IT’S ALL “BOLLOCKS” SAYS BORIS AS COVID-19 INQUIRY’S LATEST MODULE REVEALS HIS FLIPPANT REMARKS REGARDING LONG COVID
AN ESTIMATED TWO MILLION BRITS CONTINUE TO SUFFER FROM THE ILLNESS

Module 2 of The Covid19 Inquiry, which is considering core political and administrative decision making, started today, 3 October 2023.


Key delegates from Long Covid groups, which are representing two million adults and children who have suffered from Long Covid, are attending to find out what the Government knew, when they knew it, and why the Government failed to warn the public about the risk of developing long-term damage to health from Covid-19 infection.


A critical issue for them in this Module will be to understand whether the silence and disregard in public recognition of Long Covid was both influenced and informed by then Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s self-confessed and dismissive approach to recognising Long Covid as a “serious condition.” Anthony Metzer KC, the barrister representing Long Covid Kids, Long Covid SOS and Long Covid Support, said in his opening statement today:

“In October 2020, while the Department of Health and Social Care was publishing guidance on Long Covid and called for recognition and support for people with Long Covid, then Prime Minister Boris Johnson scrawled that Long Covid was ‘BOLLOCKS’. Mr Johnson has admitted in his witness statement that he didn’t believe Long Covid truly existed, dismissing it as ‘Gulf War Syndrome stuff’.”

The charity Long Covid Kids CEO, Sammie McFarland has reacted:


“The former Prime Minister’s ill-informed and flippant views have influenced the public and because of this, the public remains insufficiently aware of the profound risks associated with Long Covid.

Long Covid is a nuanced, life-altering condition that could have been preventable. His actions have played a part in almost two million adults and children in the UK being affected by Long Covid, suffering even more than they have to. And that was preventable.”



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A central question for the Inquiry to grapple with is: since Long Covid was foreseeable, why was it not foreseen? The Long Covid Groups have six framework questions which must be answered in Module 2 of the Covid-19 Inquiry:

  1. What decision-makers’ understanding of long-term sequelae and Long Covid was;

  2. What was the role of patient advocacy in the recognition and response to Long Covid;

  3. Was there data collection and modelling of Long Covid;

  4. Was the prevalence and the risk of Long Covid taken into account when decisions, like the imposition and then easing of non-pharmaceutical interventions, were adopted;

  5. How - and to what extent - did decision makers warn the public about the risk of developing Long Covid and take the disease into account in public health communications; and

  6. Whether nearly 2 million adults and children suffering with Long Covid today was avoidable?

--Ends-- For Editors Long COVID symptoms include:

  • Fatigue and extreme exhaustion

  • Post-exertional symptom exacerbation (PESE)

  • Cognitive Impairment (e.g., thinking, remembering, processing etc)

  • Cardiovascular symptoms (e.g., chest pains, heart rate variability)

  • Symptoms of dysautonomia (e.g., dizziness, nausea, postural intolerance)

  • Neurological symptoms, (e.g., mood changes, tics, twitches, behavioural changes)

  • Gastrointestinal issues (e.g., stomach pains/ upset, nausea, problems eating/ drinking)

  • Headaches/ migraines

  • Pain

  • Skin disorders

  • Sensory symptoms

  • Anxiety and depression

Any child, young person or family wanting support with Long Covid can contact members of the Long Covid Groups:

For more Press information, please contact: Anthony Burr anthony@burrmedia.co.uk Tel: (00 44) 7766 459 469 As I frequently operate from different countries and in different time zones, you may have received this email at an inconvenient time. Therefore I certainly do not expect you to respond outside of your own normal office hours, on a Public Holiday or on the weekend. ANTHONY BURR BURR MEDIA TEL: +44 7766 459 469 www.burrmedia.co.uk

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