For the past few weeks I have received a stream of unsettling letters and emails from members of the public. They are all complete strangers, people I’ve never met. They decided to get in touch out of what I can only describe as desperation, having read about the research I’m conducting with my colleague, Professor Carl Heneghan.
They are at their wits’ end because they are testing positive for Covid-19 despite having recovered from their symptoms. Some never had symptoms in the first place but are still being told they have the virus long after any possible infection. They are anxious and confused. Their lives are on hold.
One family tells me how their mother caught Covid-19 in hospital in October but continues to test positive. ‘This is starting to cause problems with her receiving treatment for cancer,’ they write, ‘so we’re trying to prove she’s not still infectious.’
Another man complains of losing his sense of smell two months ago – his only symptom. Yet his test results continue to be positive. When will he eventually be negative, he wants to know.
