Consultant Cardiologist, Dr Rae Duncan (Dr Rae Duncan), was interviewed today on BBC’s Sunday Show. In this thread 🧵, I’ve pulled out some of the key highlights. Kudos to Martin Geissler (martin geissler) who had clearly done his homework in advance & asked excellent questions. 1/

Dr Rae Duncan kicks off by explaining that Covid is not ‘just a cold’. She explains that, if we think of Covid simply in terms of the acute stage of infection, we are only looking at the tip of the iceberg… …but the bulk of the iceberg lies beneath the surface. 2/

Martin: “In Canada, they’re finding if you’ve had 3 or more Covid infections, you’ve got a 38% chance of getting Long Covid. Can that be right?” Dr Rae Duncan explains how many studies show that, the more times you get infected, the higher your risk of developing Long Covid. 3/

Martin: “Can you just as easily get organ damage, brain issues, heart issues from Long Covid if you’re young & healthy?” Dr Rae Duncan explains how EVERYONE is at risk. Many of her Long Covid patients were previously young, fit & healthy; some were even amateur athletes. 4/

Dr Rae Duncan explains how this Winter has been devastating for some of her patients as so many have been reinfected with Covid… …and all the hard work put in to try to get them better, to get them back to work or back to school, has all been completely undone again. 5/

Martin: “Are we taking this seriously enough as a country?” Dr Rae Duncan explains how our government need to start listening to the WHO advice. If we don’t get a handle on the high Covid transmission rates, hundreds of millions are going to require longer term care. 6/

Dr Rae Duncan explains how studies have repeatedly shown that cleaning the air (by improving ventilation & air filtration) can significantly reduce Covid outbreaks in schools & improve school attendance rates… …and it protects against other airborne pathogens too. 7/

Martin: “Are we too laissez-faire about Covid at the moment?” Dr Rae Duncan explains how she’s very concerned about the longer term implications of Long Covid. Economic modelling already shows that Long Covid might be costing the UK economy billions of pounds EVERY YEAR. 8/

Dr Rae Duncan wraps up by explaining that we have to learn to live with Covid SAFELY… …and that should start with basic measures like clean air in schools & hospitals. Finally, Martin gives a poignant anecdote about one of his camera crew who is suffering from Long Covid. 9/

A massive thank you to Dr Rae Duncan (@Sunny_Rae1), Martin Geissler (@mmgeissler) and @BBCScotland for this brilliant interview, raising awareness about the devastating impact of Long Covid. You can watch the full show at the link below: 🔗 /END

UPDATE: As requested, here’s a YouTube link to the full interview, kindly posted by @ABrokenBattery. BBC Scotland Sunday Show (4 Jan 2024) Martin Geissler (@mmgeissler) interviews Consultant Cardiologist Dr Rae Duncan (@Sunny_Rae1) about Long Covid. 🔗