You are not alone
Why have a support group for Long Covid? Because it is a tough journey to travel alone.
In 2020 the first people to have Long Covid found each other online, and created a Facebook group to support each other. Those first members were struggling with crippling fatigue and a host of other symptoms, at a time when no one knew what Long Covid was. Some of those first members have fully recovered, others partially, and others have remained ill and even deteriorated. For all of them the support group has been a lifeline.
In 2022 Covid finally found its way through New Zealand, infecting over 2 and a half million people, and with that spread came an influx of sick and scared people to the Long Covid Support Group. There are now over 2,200 members, which is still just a portion of the total number afflicted.
The group is a safe place for people to share their concerns, discuss experiences of symptoms and things that have helped, and gather support. It is also a place to share progress and milestones, and we love celebrating when someone reports improvement or recovery. We know how to have a laugh together or wrap our virtual arms around someone when they need it.
Some members of the group have shared their experiences of being in our support group:
“I’m sure I speak for others when I say the work the admin team does here is outstanding. Having been a member of multiple online groups over the years, both health-related and non-, I have not had the pleasure of being in a group so entirely lacking in toxicity before now. To say it another way, this is the healthiest online group I’ve been a member of. Oh, the irony! 
“This is one of the best moderated and polite and supportive fb groups I’ve been in.”
“I didn’t join this group for a long time because (a) my brain was too unwell to read and write, but also (b) I was scared of the potential toxicity … and have been really overwhelmed with how much time, energy and aroha the admin team put in … appreciate you all 
“It’s a lovely group and nice to feel safe and accepted for how things are.”
“You do a great job, admin team. This group has been a sanity saver in a difficult year.”
A safe place where all Long Covid sufferers are welcome
Our admin team takes the safety of our members seriously and all applications and posts are screened. We also work hard to maintain a safe and stress free environment for our members and it really does feel like a safe and welcoming community.
Our group caters for everyone experiencing Long Covid – from those who can still go about their daily lives but have ongoing symptoms that frustrate or inconvenience them, through to those who are bedbound and needing fulltime care. If you would like some support please don’t think you aren’t sick enough – any loss of health is difficult.
So if you have either been diagnosed with Long Covid or have had symptoms for at least 8 weeks since a Covid-19 infection, and would like to join our supportive community, please find us on Facebook.