Chapter 1
A long way to diagnosis
These are stories of what it is like to be a young person living with Long Covid, created in collaboration with those who have experienced it.
They are based on 72 young people’s accounts generated through interviews with researchers. No individual characters represent one story – we have brought different people’s stories together to represent multiple experiences.
This chapter contains stories relating to illness experience, medical gaslighting, inaccessibility to trans healthcare, misgendering, and financial difficulties. The things said by characters (including doctors) relate to real experiences, but do not constitute medical advice. For advice on how to manage Long Covid, visit: www.longcovidkids.org. Scan the QR code on the back cover for a glossary of key terms.
Length: 8 pages
Partners: London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Long Covid Kids and Long Covid Support, National Institute for Health and Care Research
Credits: Hannah Cowan, Zaira Clarke, Tim Rhodes, Praveena K. Fernes (research & scriptwriting), Alex, Eden Byrne, Lucinda Leal, Jenny, Cal Bloodworth, William George, Juliette Gunn-Roberts, A. Haines, Emily Miller (Peer researchers and scriptwriters), Daniel Locke (Illustration), Dr Benjamin Worku-Dix (producer)