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Försäkringskassan: “There are no exceptions in the legislation”
Of: Jonas Månsson
Published:
Updated:
Several hundred long-term covid-19 patients are at risk of being insured soon.
One who has already been affected is Charlotte Kerben, 48, who several months after the disease still suffers from various symptoms.
– I wait every day for the rules to change, he says.
It has been just over six months since the first Swedish cases of Covid-19 were diagnosed. Many of those who were infected early still suffer from the suites and now a large group of people on sick leave are approaching 180 days which means their ability to work must be tested against the entire job market.
Charlotte Kerben, 48, lives in Almunge in Uppsala and works in a preschool. She started feeling ill in early March when she had headaches, fever, nausea, and diarrhea, among other things.
She was found to have Covid-19 and became ill, but her health improved in late June so Charlotte Kerben could go back to work.
– I did very well when I was working, but after two weeks I was awake and all the symptoms had returned. It was a terrible headache, nausea, diarrhea, and body aches. Since then, it has been happening, she says.
Today she describes the situation as being tired, having chest pain, and high body temperature. By early September, the 180 days had passed and she was insured.
– At first I was really scared and didn’t know what to do, she says.
You want to see a change in the law
Charlotte Kerben believes that ruling politicians should introduce an exception in the law for those affected by the covid.
– I think they should act, there has been a lot in the media that we are on long-term sick leave. I think they should be able to fix this, she says.
She is worried about the future, but does not think she has to move at the moment.
– I hope it can be solved somehow. Now I have been told that you can register for sick leave and register as unemployed with the unemployment insurance fund and stamp. I have contacted the union and the unemployment insurance fund and applied, but it has not yet been granted, says Charlotte Kerben.
Photo: Luca Bruno / AP / TT
Cecilia Udin, from the Swedish Social Security Agency, believes that health information is lacking to help those affected.
Many now run the risk of ending up in the same situation as Charlotte Kerben.
– We see that there is a group of 500 to 600 people per month who can end up in the situation, says Cecilia Udin, national insurance coordinator at the Swedish Social Security Agency.
She thinks that care information is lacking in order to help the victims.
– More knowledge and research is needed to be able to provide good care and rehabilitation efforts so that the insured returns as soon as possible. Support is also needed so that doctors know how long an affected person’s sick leave should take, says Cecilia Udin.
The authority takes the situation seriously and feels that people affected by the covid end up in a very special seat.
– There are no exceptions in the legislation that can exempt this review group, as the law is designed today. In that case, a change in the law would be required. We have regular contact with the Ministry of Social Affairs on many issues related to coexistence, he says.
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