Long Covid and Menopause with Lyn Curtis

There are over 2 million people suffering from Long Covid in the UK and 118 million people worldwide. We are still living within a pandemic, it is still claiming countless lives around the World, this week a report in the medical journal, The Lancet, states that Covid-19 has bought health inequalities into sharp focus on an international scale. In this week’s podcast we speak to a Covid survivor who is now suffering from long Covid, Lyn, she talks openly about the daily struggles she has living with this debilitating and still being researched condition, Lyn is also in peri menopause and is involved in research with Cambridge University.The Book Collective continue with How to Kill Your Family with Bella Mackie and the story is unfolding and taking on hilarious twists and turns from the protagonist, Grace.The Foodie get ready to stir-it-up this Sunday with a delicious Christmas pudding from the wonderful Nigella Lawson.And we find out what your lockdown purchases were with some fabulous comments from the Collective. Co-author of the Lancet report, Dr Louise Newson, GP and renowned menopause specialist, said: ‘For far too long women’s health has been a totally neglected area of research.’‘I would urge all healthcare professionals, particularly those working in dedicated Long COVID clinics, to ask “could these symptoms be due to the menopause or perimenopause”?But is it dangerous to be labelled with one or the other, what happens when there is a crossover ?We put this question to Lyn Curtis who is in peri-menopause and has been suffering from Long Covid for over 18 months.From the studies with Cambridge University and from the support groups she is part of for Long Covid we learn vulnerability to and mortality from acute Covid-19 infection is higher in men, whereas Long Covid disproportionately affects women, we start the conversation of trying to find out why? Lyn discusses the social and economic facts that surround Long Covid and why gender plays a part in symptoms that can be looked at as hormonal in men and women, but not in children? From Lyn’s interview we look at why we are at the tip of the iceberg for long term care and future conditions surrounding Long Covid. So what was your lockdown purchase? We find out some hilarious ones from the Collective, including what Lou and Jinty bought. Lou also recommends a great film, Freedom Writers and researches the story behind the film about gangs in Long Beach USA and a teacher that gives them tools and hope for a future. The Book Collective are in the middle of Bella Mackie’s How To Kill your Family, we read up to chapter 11 and find out why Grace is actually in prison, we also get an inside angle on the sex parties, and her plans for murder….it’s dark and so very funny. We are reading up to chapter 14 for the next Book Collective which takes a week off next week. Stir-it-up Sunday is on Sunday 21st November when this podcast lands and we go full on Christmas with a delicious Christmas Pudding recipe from Nigella Lawson, and Jinty plans to make a vegan version. Jinty sets a WI (weekly invite) to Lou and the rest of the Collective, as it was National Kindness Day last week, & Jinty gives us a challenge to put our kindness into practice. Foodie Collective Stir-it-up-Sunday recipe ; https://www.nigella.com/recipes/ultimate-christmas-pudding--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/womenkindcollectivepodcast/message☕ SUBSCRIBE for honest chats on women’s health, feminist issues, sisterhood & smashing the patriarchy, one cuppa at a time.💛 Enjoying the podcast? Please share, leave us a review or comment!If you would like to you can Buy us a coffee at Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/womenkindcollectivepodcast💬 We love hearing from you, email us your ideas here Jinty & Lou @ [email protected]👀 Join us on instagram here https://www.instagram.com/womenkindcollective?igsh=ZmxmbGs2d3BjcXA1&utm_source=qr🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/womenkind-collective/id1557937820🎧 Listen on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/42KniEtc5WGQhNvREsN1WP?si=e14a83c93a304bb3And all your favourite Podcast PlatformsThank you for Listening Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.