Physical and mental health consequences of COVID-19 infection, termed long-COVID, occur frequently. Our understanding of long-COVID – including how best to diagnose, risk factors, health and economic consequences – is poor, limiting efforts to help people.
We wish to address the following patient defined questions:
- What is long-COVID and how is it diagnosed?
- Why have I got long-COVID?
- What effects will long-COVID have on my health, ability to work and family? What are my chances of recovery?
- How will this research ensure I am getting the right treatment and support for long-COVID?
We will compare rates of symptoms and diseases in people who had COVID-19 with those in the general population, and examine which symptoms occur together. We will study risk factors for long COVID, and longer-term outcomes in people who live with it. We will share findings with bodies involved in developing treatment guidelines (NICE, who are also part of this project), with government (via the Chief Scientific Advisor), with the public via social media and other outputs, and the scientific community via research publications.