A DEBATE on the long term effects of the coronavirus will be held in parliament after calls for the discussion by an Oxford MP.

Layla Moran, Liberal Democrat MP for Oxford West and Abingdon has secured the first Commons debate on Long Covid on Thursday, January 7 with cross-party support.

The Backbench Business Committee granted the application by Layla Moran, co-sponsored by Dr Dan Poulter MP (Con) and Andrew Gwynne MP (Lab) and supported by many others.

Ms Moran, who is also Chair of the APPG on Coronavirus, said that the debate “is long overdue” and called on “those with lived experience and clinical experience to tell us your stories” in advance of the debate.

She added: “What’s really important now is that as many MPs as possible take part in the debate, so we can give this the profile it deserves and give the Government the opportunity to listen and respond to our concerns."

Earlier this month, Ms Moran led calls for a better 'exit strategy' from the Covid crisis

Dr Nisreen Alwan, Associate Professor in Public Health at the University of Southampton hailed news of the debate.

Dr Alwan said: “Debating the significant morbidity generated by Covid 19 in Parliament is a very positive step towards moving away from the black and white narrative that has dominated the public discourse and dictated the response to this pandemic.

"It’s not simply death vs no effect on health from the virus. We now have a huge grey area of long-term illness that public services must be prepared for, both to support people living with Long Covid, and to prevent further illness and disability from it.”

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