I have known for 4 years that many medics are skeptical/unhelpful/dismissive of long covid (as they have been with MECFS)

I am struggling to hold it together right now after reading how so many kids (and their families) have been treated by HCP over this time. It’s horrific. 1/ If you don’t know about something, fine. Refer to someone who does. But don’t call parents and kids liars, don’t gaslight, don’t call safeguarding, don’t do any of this when a child has an illness you don’t understand. Learn about it instead. 2/

Unfortunately, like with ME and CFS, it is easier for the medical profession, NHS & govt to consider long covid easily treated with some rehab and councelling.
It continues the "just try harder" message and completely denies that something physically significant had occurred 1/ It's nearly 4 years of living in a fundamentally changed way for my daughter and I - and the rest of the family by default.
There is nothing we have "gained" from this, we have lost a huge amount. I can work, just about, she can no longer attend school 2/

Long covid.
As a clinician, how do we know if someone could have it? Thought it might be useful to write a bit.

Firstly, a really good history is your key. Onset of symptoms after a viral illness, that could have been v mild, almost asymptomatic for some. 1/ Symptoms will vary hugely between individuals and come and go, but most commonly:
Headache/migraines
Brain fog - cognitive issues, word finding difficulty
Vision - sometimes blurry, often accomodation difficulty
Smell/taste changes
Recurrent sore throats
2/