Report on Long COVID (27 January 2021)

Summary

Independent SAGE is a group of scientists who are working together to provide independent scientific advice to the UK government and public on how to minimise deaths and support Britain’s recovery from the COVID-19 crisis.

This report seeks to answer some of the more common questions that they are asked about Long COVID and sets out key recommendations.

Content

Key recommendations

• Data should be collected systematically on cases of Long COVID and presented alongside numbers of cases, hospitalisations and deaths from COVID-19.
• Building on the experience of the Post-Hospitalisation study, a national register of patients with Long COVID should be established, including those who have not required hospitalisation, to enable long-term follow-up and thus a better understanding of the
• natural history of this condition. This should include specific codes for GPs to use so that patients can be followed up and tracked in research studies over the longer term.
• Further efforts should be undertaken to ensure that all health professionals likely to come into contact with patients who have Long COVID are fully aware of the existing NICE guidelines.
• Clinical commissioning groups and their equivalents in the devolved nations should ensure that there are appropriate models of care in place, including multi-disciplinary and multi-specialist teams, with clearly defined pathways through which patients can access them.
• Research studies funded so far will provide invaluable information, but there is a need for continuing review to identify emerging gaps in our knowledge, especially in relation to the impact of Long COVID on people’s lives and how they are overcoming
• the challenges they face.
• Patients with Long COVID should be recognised as an extremely important resource in shaping research and policy in relation to this condition.