Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:59 pm on 25 January 2022.
First Minister, there has been much discussion recently about living with COVID. It's important to remember, when we hear that phrase, of course, that according to the Office for National Statistics, almost 60,000 in Wales are living with long COVID. Long COVID or post-COVID-19 syndrome involves a wide range of symptoms, but the most consistent feature, as we know, is a form of severe persistent fatigue that can be completely debilitating. The three occupational groups that are most affected, according to official statistics, are social care, teaching and healthcare—people who have put themselves on the front line to serve others and are now paying the price for their diligence. Does the First Minister agree with me that COVID-19 should now be classified as an occupational disease, as it already has been in eight European countries, as well as in Canada and South Africa, and that those who have contracted long COVID as a chronic disease through exposure at work should be entitled to compensation?