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Showing results for tags 'Long Covid'.
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Content Article
University of Plymouth: Telerehab Toolkit
Patient Safety Learning posted an article in Telemedicine
The Telerehab Toolkit is a patient and practitioner guide to remote appointments for people with movement impairment and disability. -
News Article
Long-lasting Covid-19 symptoms rare in children
Patient-Safety-Learning posted a news article in News
According to research by King's College scientists, children who become ill with Covid-19 rarely experience long-term symptoms. The study was conducted using data provided by the Zoe Covid Study App and looked at 1,734 children, aged between five and 17 who had been reported to have tested positive for the virus between September 2020 and February 2021, with the most common long-term symptoms being found to be headaches and tiredness. "This study is reassuring for the majority of children and young people who develop Sars-CoV-2 infection, and reflects what paediatricians are seeing in clinical practice." Says Dr Liz Whittaker, infectious disease lead at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health who was not involved in the research Read full story. Source: BBC News, 4 August 2021 -
Content ArticleThis report, Long COVID and speech and language therapy, looks at the mid to long-term speech and language therapy needs of people with Long COVID, the impact these difficulties have on people’s lives and the essential role that speech and language therapy plays in supporting them. Published by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT), authors conclude: "The RCSLT firmly believes that any person with a communication or swallowing difficulty has a right to access high quality speech and language therapy when and where they need it. Any person with such needs after COVID-19 must receive timely, individual, person-centred rehabilitation, which will support and maximise their mental health and wellbeing, participation in society, and ability to return to work." To achieve this, the report sets out a number of recommendations at national, system and workforce levels. They also set out recommendations for raising awareness to the wider public.
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News ArticleResearchers from the 'Therapies for Long COVID (TLC) Study Group' at the University of Birmingham are studying long COVID is and what influences it by pooling data from lots of separate studies to find out the prevalence of reported symptoms and to see what the impacts and complications of long COVID are. Their review showed just how varied long COVID is. Patients may experience symptoms related to any system in the body – including respiratory, neurological and gastroenterological symptoms. The pooled data showed that the ten most commonly reported symptoms in long COVID are fatigue, shortness of breath, muscle pain, cough, headache, joint pain, chest pain, an altered sense of smell, diarrhoea and altered taste. Other common symptoms include “brain fog” – when thinking is fuzzy and sluggish – memory loss, disordered sleep, heart palpitations and a sore throat. Rare but important outcomes include thoughts of self-harm and suicide and even seizures. Most long COVID patients complain of symptoms experienced during their acute infection persisting beyond it, with the number of symptoms experienced tending to decline as patients move from acute to long COVID. Some, though, report developing new symptoms during their long COVID illness, while some also report symptoms reoccuring that had previously resolved themselves. What the huge variability of long COVID suggests is that it actually comprises a number of different syndromes, potentially with different underlying causes. A better understanding of the underlying biological and immunological mechanisms of long COVID is therefore urgently needed if we’re to develop effective treatments for it. Read full story Source: The Conversation, 27 July 2021
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News Article
Long-term effects of Covid-19 can be considered a disability says Biden
Patient-Safety-Learning posted a news article in News
US President Biden has said people suffering from long-term effects if Covid-19 could be considered a disability under federal civil rights laws. The administration does make clear however that having long covid doesn't automatically mean disability and that an individual assessment may be needed to determine whether a person’s long-term symptoms “substantially limits a major life activity.” President Biden has said the classification of long covid as a possible disability would “help Americans grappling with long-term effects of covid-19 that doctors call long covid.” Read full story. Source: The Washington Post, 26 July 2021 -
Content ArticleThis article describes a report on Long Covid and speech and language therapy. The report has recently been published by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists with the research being conducted to gather insights into working with people with Long Covid between February 2020 and March 2021. Some key findings include: negative impact on mental health and wellbeing, an impact on a person's ability to complete daily tasks and activities, and a significant variation in the number of people referred to speech and language therapy.
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News Article
UCLH awarded £6.8 million to conduct long Covid study
Patient-Safety-Learning posted a news article in News
UCLH has been awarded £6.8m to conduct what has been regarded as the largest Long Covid clinical study and will focus on understanding the condition, how to diagnose it, manage it and improve the recovery process. The research will be a collaborative effort and will include 30 researchers, health professionals, patients and industry partners from more than 30 organisations and the project will be known as TIMULATE-ICP (Symptoms, Trajectory, Inequalities and Management: Understanding Long-Covid to Address and Transform Existing Integrated Care Pathways). Read full story. Source: National Health Executive, 19 July 2021 -
News Article
15 new research programs set to study 'long term effects of Covid-19'
Patient-Safety-Learning posted a news article in News
It has been announced that the UK is set to launch 15 new research programs to study 'Long Covid', allocating nearly 20 million pounds to the projects. The research programs are aiming to understand the condition better as well as identify it and evaluate different treatments. The Department for Health and Social Care have said, "Those people who have long COVID will benefit from the latest research revealed, which will help to understand the condition better, improve diagnosis and find new treatments." Read full story. Source: The Day Chronicle, 18 July 2021 -
News Article
Study finds Long Covid linked to 200 symptoms
Patient-Safety-Learning posted a news article in News
A major new study has found Long Covid is associated with at least 200 symptoms, the most common of which includes fatigue, post-exertional malaise and cognitive dysfunction. The research led by a team at University College London spoke to thousands of people, many of whom have said they experienced symptoms for months. Other symptoms include: visual hallucinations, tremors, itchy skin, changes to the menstrual cycle, sexual dysfunction, heart palpitations, bladder control issues, shingles, memory loss, blurred vision, diarrhoea, and tinnitus. Read full story. Source: The Independent, 15 July 2021 -
News Article
Study finds delta surge 'could leave hundreds of thousands with long Covid'
Patient-Safety-Learning posted a news article in News
New research has suggested unvaccinated young people may be at a higher risk of getting long-term symptoms. With restrictions being lifted on 19th July, concerns have been raised about the impact of the Delta variant. Professor Danny Altmann has said “From every version of Covid we’ve ever seen on the planet, we’ve got a rule of thumb that any case of Covid, whether it’s asymptomatic, mild, severe, or hospitalised, incurs a 10 to 20% risk of developing long Covid, and we haven’t seen any exceptions to that.” Read full story. Source: The Guardian, 13 July 2021 -
News Article
Long Covid: Hope for diagnostic tests
Patient-Safety-Learning posted a news article in News
Researchers at Imperial College London have found a pattern of rouge antibodies that may allow a simple blood test to diagnose Long Covid in the next 6 to 18 months. Currently, there is no diagnostic test for Long Covid and the condition is not yet fully understood, and with the rise in cases, it is not yet known if the vaccination can protect patients from getting long-term symptoms. However, leading the research team at Imperial College London, Professor Danny Altmann believes the research could allow for a test to be performed in a GP surgery. And regarding the rising cases, Professor Altmann has said "If we're heading into a phase of 100,000 cases per day, and, we're saying that 10-20% of all infections can result in long Covid, I can see no certainty that we're not brewing those long Covid cases despite having a vaccinated population," Read full story. Source: BBC News, 12 July 2021 -
News Article
Irregularities in blood could pave the way for a test for long covid
Patient-Safety-Learning posted a news article in News
A pattern in rouge antibodies has been found by Imperial College London scientists which may lead to a blood test for the condition within 6 to 18 months. Leading the team at Imperial College London, Professor Danny Altmann has said the 'work will lead to a test which could be done in a doctor's surgery'. However, he is concerned with the lifting of lockdown restrictions on 19th July. Long Covid is not yet fully understood with no current diagnostic test yet available for the illness. However, a range of symptoms have been listed which include fatigue, breathlessness, muscle pain and headaches. Read full story. Source: BBC News, 12 July 2021 -
News Article
Long Covid cases under reported
Patient-Safety-Learning posted a news article in News
A study by React have estimated around 2 million people may be suffering from long Covid but scientists say the cases are going under reported. Currently, there is no universal definition of long Covid and the symptoms are varying and broad. To better understand the condition, the government has set up around 80 clinics and have invested £50m for research. Read full story. Source: BBC News, 30 June 2021 -
News Article
More than 2 million people in the UK may have suffered from long Covid
Patient-Safety-Learning posted a news article in News
A new survey of half a million adults in the UK has revealed more than 2 million may have suffered from long Covid. Currently, long Covid is not fully understood and its definition has not yet been agreed upon. The self-reported survey showed 37% of respondents experienced at least one symptom lasting 12 weeks or more with higher weight, smoking, lower incomes and having a chronic illness being associated with a higher chance of experiencing symptoms of long Covid. The government has issued £50m in funding for research on long Covid. Read full story. Source: BBC News, 24 June 2021 -
News Article
New long Covid enhanced service (ES) to pay just under 50p per registered patient
Patient-Safety-Learning posted a news article in News
GPs have been given until the 31st July to sign up patients to the new enhanced long Covid enhanced service (ES). The new service was set up to help support patients with the condition as it was considered complex and needed consistent support. The ES is also intended to help GP practices 'plan their workforce set up, training needs and infrastructure in order to support patients with this new condition’. The payment to practices will occur on a monthly basis and will be paid 75% of the fee (£0.371) per registered patient. The remaining 25% (£0.124 )will be paid once patients have been signed up. Read full story. Source: Pulse Today, 21 June 2021 -
News Article
New NHS long COVID service for children
Patient-Safety-Learning posted a news article in News
NHS England are set to launch a new service for children suffering from long COVID. Although data has suggested that children are less likely to suffer from severe disease, there have been an increasing number of reports of continued symptoms. The new service will consist of 15 new paediatric hubs with experts to treat young people and advise their families and carers or refer them to specialist services. The NHS has invested £100m in specialist services to help meet the needs of the possible hundreds of thousands who are expected to experience long COVID with symptoms ranging from breathing difficulties to fatigue. Read full story. Source: Sky News, 15 June 2021 -
Content Article
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More than a million people in the UK are now living with prolonged symptoms of Covid-19,[1] also referred to as Long Covid, including at least 122,000 NHS staff.[2] With many struggling to come to terms with life-changing health challenges, Long Covid is considered by some to be the next pandemic. Good health information has the power to educate, influence and clarify; all of which are critical to effectively responding to public health crises and keeping patients safe. But the absence of good information can leave patients, staff and the wider public feeling confused and unsupported, and can widen health inequalities. In this blog, Patient Safety Learning has identified four key areas where better information could help improve care for those living with Long Covid: Symptoms of Long Covid Long Covid assessment centres Education and awareness Performance and effectiveness. -
News ArticleThe number of people suffering from symptoms of long covid more than a year after their initial Coronavirus infection has jumped to almost 400,000. New data from the Office for National Statistics based on a survey of patients found the numbers of patients with persistent symptoms after 12 months jumped from 70,000 in March to 376,000 in May. Overall, the ONS said an estimated one million people had self-reported signs of long Covid which last for more than four weeks. The effects of long Covid were reported to be affected the day-to-day activities of 650,000 people, with 192,000 of those saying their ability to undertake day-to-day activities had been limited a lot. Fatigue was the most common symptom reported, with 547,000 people affected. A total of 405,000 people reported a shortness of breath, while 313,000 had muscle aches. More than a quarter of a million patients, 285,000 people, said they had difficulty concentrating. According to the ONS the prevalence of long Covid was higher among those aged between 35 and 69-year-old and women were more likely to be affected than men along with those living in the most deprived areas as well as staff working in health and social care. Read full story Source: The Independent, 3 June 2021
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News ArticlePeople who remain chronically ill after Covid infections in England have had to wait months for appointments and treatment at specialist clinics set up to handle the surge in patients with long Covid. MPs called on Matt Hancock, the health secretary, to explain the lengthy waiting times and what they described as a “shameful postcode lottery” which left some patients facing delays of more than four months before being assessed at a specialist centre while others were seen within days. NHS England announced in December that people with long Covid, or post-Covid syndrome, could seek help at more than 60 specialist clinics. But despite government assertions in January that the network of 69 centres was already operating, the all-party parliamentary group on coronavirus found that some clinics were still not up and running three months later. Freedom of information requests submitted to NHS trusts revealed that while some clinics had opened and were seeing patients, others had been delayed by the second wave of infections in January. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 30 May 2021
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Content Article
How will NHS staff with Long Covid be supported?
PatientSafetyLearning Team posted an article in Blogs
In this interview, Patient Safety Learning speaks to Asad Khan, a doctor who has been suffering with persistent symptoms of Covid-19 for more than six months. This is also commonly referred to as Long Covid. Asad highlights the pressing need for frontline staff with Long Covid to be better supported moving forward, in order to keep everyone safe from harm.- Posted
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News Article
GPs stricken by long Covid ‘shocked and betrayed’ at being forced from jobs
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Family doctors are being forced out of their jobs after developing long Covid, prompting demands for the government to compensate NHS staff with the debilitating condition who cannot work. GPs struggling with the condition have told the Observer they felt “shocked and betrayed” when their colleagues removed them from their posts because of prolonged sick leave. “I received a lawyer’s letter on behalf of the other partners in the GP surgery telling me that they were ending my partnership. I understood why they did what they did, because I was too sick to work at the time. But it was also callous and mercenary,” said one doctor who lost her job. “It was hard on me, as one of the partners was also my best friend. The partners were worried I’d be a ‘disabled partner’ and wouldn’t be able to pull my weight. Long Covid meant I simply couldn’t function normally and so couldn’t meet the return to work date they gave me, so they exercised their right under our partnership agreement to end my partnership at the surgery,” added the GP, who asked to remain anonymous. The issue has prompted soul-searching within the medical profession about what duty of care family doctors owe each other when they cannot work because they have been laid low with exhaustion, brain fog, breathlessness and other symptoms of long Covid. Locum medics and hospital doctors with the condition are also having problems including loss of income, trouble accessing sick pay, contractual difficulties and getting employers to accept that they cannot work normally, sometimes for months. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 23 May 2021 -
Content ArticleIn March 2021 the advocacy group LongCovidSOS launched a survey in partnership with the University of Exeter and University of Kent to find out how people with Long Covid respond to COVID-19 vaccines. The analysis, which is yet to be peer reviewed showed that 56.7% of respondents experienced an overall improvement in symptoms, with 24.6% remaining unchanged and 18.7% reporting a deterioration in their symptoms. In general, those who received mRNA vaccines (Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna) reported more improvements in symptoms, compared with those who got an adenovirus vaccine (Oxford/AstraZeneca). In particular, those who received the Moderna vaccine were more likely to see improvements in symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog and muscle pain, and less likely to report a deterioration, the analysis found.
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Content Article
The cost of Long Covid (File on 4, 18 May 2021)
PatientSafetyLearning Team posted an article in Patient recovery
Latest figures show more than a million people in Britain are suffering from Long Covid. For many the condition is completely debilitating. The extreme fatigue, breathing difficulties, brain-fog is forcing hundreds of thousands of previously fit, working people on to long term sick. File on 4 hears from frontline workers who kept Britain going through the pandemic but now feel abandoned. Others reveal how they’ve felt pressurised to return to work even though they’re very ill. Listen hereFurther reading that may be of interest:Long Covid Minister needed to respond to growing crisis Promises of Long Covid support have not materialised (a blog by Clare Rayner)My experience of suspected 'Long COVID' (by Dr Jake Suett) -
News Article
Long Covid symptoms ease after vaccination, survey finds
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
COVID-19 vaccines tend to alleviate the symptoms of long Covid, according to a large survey of more than 800 people that suggests mRNA vaccines, in particular, are beneficial. Although COVID-19 was initially understood to be a largely respiratory illness from which most would recover within a few weeks, as the pandemic wore on increasing numbers of people reported experiencing symptoms for months on end. There is no consensus definition of the condition of these people who have symptoms ranging from chronic fatigue to organ damage, let alone a standardised treatment plan. As vaccines hit the mainstream, concerns arose that vaccination could precipitate relapses or a worsening of symptoms. But conversely, anecdotal reports suggested that vaccines helped some people with long Covid. The analysis, which is yet to be peer reviewed, was conducted on the basis of a survey of 812 people (mostly white, female participants) with long Covid in advocacy groups in the UK and internationally who were contacted via social media. The participants (a small proportion of whom also said they had ME/CFS) were asked to wait at least a week after their first dose to avoid their responses conflating with side-effects of the vaccine. In general, those who received mRNA vaccines (Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna) reported more improvements in symptoms, compared with those who got an adenovirus vaccine (Oxford/AstraZeneca). In particular, those who received the Moderna vaccine were more likely to see improvements in symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog and muscle pain, and less likely to report a deterioration, the analysis found. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 18 May 2021 -
Content ArticleThis document informs the commissioning of post Covid services in England. It will assist local healthcare systems to plan and deliver services that meet the varied and often complex needs of people living with Long Covid and is being published alongside the NHS plan for improving Long Covid services.
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