“Remember that no two people with Long Covid will be the same in terms of their challenges, so the approach to returning to work needs to be bespoke and may look different to others.”
British Medical Journal Careers by Abi Rimmer
Article Extracts
Don’t let it be the elephant in the room
Rachel Duncan, clinical lead for the Brighton and Hove memory assessment service, GP, and someone with lived experience of Long Covid, says:
“Firstly, it’s important that you acknowledge and validate their illness and experience. This colleague may well have been off work for some time and you don’t want Long Covid to be the elephant in the room. Openly mentioning it in an appropriate and supportive way can be helpful.
“They may not look unwell, but don’t let this mislead you – when attempting a return to work your colleague will be putting everything they have into making it a success. Your colleague is likely to have a structured return to work plan that has been made with occupational health or their line manager’s input. Please respect these boundaries and do not try to navigate around them.
“There is often a ‘go low and go slow’ approach which can look different to recovery from other conditions. Remember that no two people with Long Covid will be the same in terms of their challenges, so the approach to returning to work needs to be bespoke and may look different to others.
“There may be bumps in the road so expect your colleague to need the occasional sick day in order to keep their recovery trajectory going in the right direction. This will be hard for them but can be vital to their recovery so please be understanding…
Ask how to help – and listen
Natalie Nokes, third year specialty trainee in emergency medicine, says:
“Everyone’s experience with long covid is different. I believe the best way you can support your colleagues is to do three things: listen, empathise, and offer appropriate support.
“On one of my rotations, it came up in conversation that I had post-covid fatigue or long covid. I explained that one of the hardest things to manage at work was having to stand for long periods of time. As I explained this, three of my colleagues were sat on chairs and I was stood up. No one offered me their chair. I remember thinking that they seemed to be listening and they’d asked questions, but they hadn’t offered me support or understanding…
Allow extra time for rest and appointments
Ravi Prakash, older adults psychiatry specialty doctor, Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust, says:
“Please listen and accept your colleagues’ concerns when they return to work with Long Covid symptoms… They could be worried about their health and how they will meet their own and their colleagues’ expectations while suffering from fluctuating fatigue, myalgia, and breathlessness.
“Do gently ask how to help and, if you can, assist them by avoiding excess physical exertion and planning rest periods into their working day. While doctors are used to intense activity and pressure at work, doctors with Long Covid need to avoid an excessive workload and stress or they risk worsening their symptoms…