300,000 people may have post-covid - Martin from Molkom one of the many affected
Five years after the start of the pandemic, 300,000 Swedes are still living with long-term symptoms, according to a new Sifo survey. Martin Blomwaiss is one of them. After being hospitalised in an intensive care unit (ICU), he has been struggling for years to get his everyday life back.
Start the clip above to hear more about Martin's 4-year battle with post-covid.
Martin Blomwaiss from Molkom outside Karlstad was not vaccinated and fell ill with COVID-19 in 2021. He was hospitalised in the intensive care unit and all his internal organs were affected, eventually losing the ability to walk and sit steadily.
- ‘I couldn't even sit on a chair without falling off,’ he says.
The post-covid clinic in Karlstad helps those affected
A new Sifo survey commissioned by the Swedish Covid Association shows that 300,000 Swedes are still living with long-term symptoms.
Post-covid clinics are currently only available in Värmland and Stockholm. The clinic in Karlstad receives referrals from all over the country, mainly from Västra Götaland.
- ‘As long as we see that there are people who need us, we will keep the postcovid clinic open,’ says Monica Magnusson, head of department.
Last year, the clinic received 40 referrals, including Martin.
- ‘They were very good, and I got a second chance at life,’ he says.
‘I hope to get my life back’
For Martin, the next step awaits: in April, he will start 25 per cent job training as a caretaker at a school in Molkom, with the aim of returning to a normal life.
- ‘I want to go back and do my part and give back to society, just as I have been helped,’ he says.
At the moment, around ten patients are being cared for at the post-covid clinic in Karlstad. The team consists of doctors, psychologists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, nurses and assistant nurses, who together help patients to regain their quality of life.
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