Long-term COVID-19 health impacts research study launched

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has announced one of the world’s largest comprehensive research studies into the long-term health impacts of coronavirus on hospitalised patients.

Backed by an award of £8.4m in funding by the Government, through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), the study is expected to include around 10,000 across the UK and will support the development of new measures to treat NHS patients with coronavirus.

The study will be led by the NIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre, a partnership between the University of Leicester and University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust and will draw on the expertise of a consortium of leading researchers and doctors from across the UK.

They will assess and publish findings on the impact of COVIDd-19 on patient health and their recovery, including looking at potential ways to help improve the mental health of patients hospitalised with the virus and how individual characteristics such as gender and ethnicity influence recovery.

Patients on the study from across the UK will be assessed using techniques such as advanced imaging, data collection and analysis of blood and lung samples, creating a comprehensive picture of the impact COVID-19 has on longer-term health outcomes.

The findings will support the development of new strategies for clinical and rehabilitation care, including personalised treatments based on the particular disease characteristics that a patient shows, to improve their long-term health.

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Source: National Health Executive, 10 August 2020