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News Article
Covid can cause ongoing damage to heart, lungs and kidneys, study finds
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Damage to the body’s organs including the lungs and kidneys is common in people who were admitted to hospital with Covid, with one in eight found to have heart inflammation, researchers have revealed. As the pandemic evolved, it became clear that some people who had Covid were being left with ongoing symptoms – a condition that has been called Long Covid. Previous studies have revealed that fewer than a third of patients who have ongoing Covid symptoms after being hospitalised with the disease feel fully recovered a year later, while some experts have warned Long Covid could result in a generation affected by disability. Now researchers tracking the progress of patients who were treated in hospital for Covid say they have found evidence the disease can take a toll on a range of organs. What’s more, they say the severity of ongoing symptoms appears to be linked to the severity of the Covid infection itself. “Even fit, healthy individuals can suffer severe Covid-19 illness and to avoid this, members of the public should take up the offer of vaccination,” said Prof Colin Berry, of the University of Glasgow, which led the CISCO-19 (Cardiac imaging in Sars coronavirus disease-19) study. “Our study provides objective evidence of abnormalities at one to two months post-Covid and these findings tie in with persisting symptoms at that time and the likelihood of ongoing health needs one year later,” Berry added. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 23 May 2022- Posted
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Fears of Long Covid crisis as demand for rehabilitation services surges
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Health officials are calling for urgent intervention from the government to meet the steep surge in demand for occupational therapy in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. According to healthcare professionals from both the NHS and the private care system, demand for occupational-therapy-led rehabilitation services in Britain has increased by a staggering 82 per cent over the past six months alone. Swelling pressure on already “overloaded” rehabilitation services has stirred up stark warnings from members of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT), who say the level of demand for the service they provide “isn’t sustainable” as there isn’t a large enough workforce to meet the need. A revealing survey carried out by the college has raised grave questions about the prospect of providing timely rehabilitation for people recovering from short and long-term illnesses who need urgent support to enable them to carry out their daily activities. The survey of of 550 occupational therapists working in the UK found that 84 per cent are now supporting people whose needs have become more complex because of delays in treatment brought about by the pandemic. As a result of this, coupled with a wider increase in the number of people requiring help, 71 per cent of the RCOT’s respondents felt there were not enough occupational therapists to meet the demand. Read full story (paywalled) Source: The Independent, 22 May 2022- Posted
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Content ArticleThis study in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health examines the demographic, clinical and socioeconomic factors associated with diagnosis of Long Covid in children aged 5 to 18 years. The authors conducted a population-based cross-sectional study using data from 20,601 children living in Israel who tested positive for Covid between 1 February 2020 and 30 June 2021. They found several variables associated with the development of Long Covid, including: the severity of acute infection being hospitalised recurrent acute infection ADHD diagnosis chronic allergic rhinitis chronic urticaria. The authors call for heightened clinical awareness that Long Covid can be present in children, and highlight that this should affect public health policy because of Covid-19's long-term health impacts.
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Content ArticleOn 23 March 2021, Long COVID Physio Chair and co-founder Darren Brown presented to the Royal Pharmaceutical Society at the “Long COVID - what it is and how to manage it” webinar. In this interactive session, you can hear first-hand from those who have experienced Long Covid as well as experts on this topic. The multi-disciplinary panel explains how you can recognise and support those who may be living with Long Covid.
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News ArticleMore than half of people hospitalised with Covid-19 still have at least one symptom two years after they were first infected, according to the longest follow-up study of its kind. While physical and mental health generally improve over time, the analysis suggests that coronavirus patients discharged from hospital still tend to experience poorer health and quality of life than the general population. The research was published in the Lancet Respiratory Medicine. “Our findings indicate that for a certain proportion of hospitalised Covid-19 survivors, while they may have cleared the initial infection, more than two years is needed to recover fully,” said the lead author, Prof Bin Cao, of the China-Japan Friendship hospital in China. Until now, the long-term health effects of Covid-19 have remained largely unknown, as the longest follow-up studies to date have spanned about a year. The absence of pre-Covid-19 health status data and comparisons with the general population in most studies also made it difficult to determine how well patients with Covid-19 have recovered. “Ongoing follow-up of Covid-19 survivors, particularly those with symptoms of long Covid, is essential to understand the longer course of the illness, as is further exploration of the benefits of rehabilitation programmes for recovery,” said Cao. “There is a clear need to provide continued support to a significant proportion of people who’ve had Covid-19, and to understand how vaccines, emerging treatments and variants affect long-term health outcomes.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 11 May 2022
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Covid-19: Long term brain injury (14 March 2022)
Patient Safety Learning posted an article in Blogs
SARS-CoV-2 infection can damage many organs other than the lungs. The most troubling is damage to the brain. A series of recent studies document long term brain-damage in as many as one quarter of all those infected regardless of the severity of the initial disease. Those numbers are daunting considering that an estimated 140 million Americans have been infected by SARS-CoV-2. Symptoms, such as brain fog, fatigue, depression and a host of other maladies, may be mild or incapacitating. Several studies warn that treatment of those with long term brain injury will strain the healthcare care system for years to come. Understanding the origin and treatment of Covid-19 related brain injury is a high priority for medical science.- Posted
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Content ArticleWith the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, growing evidence shows that a considerable proportion of people who have recovered from COVID-19 have long-term effects on multiple organs and systems. A few longitudinal studies have reported on the persistent health effects of COVID-19, but the follow-up was limited to 1 year after acute infection. The aim of this study from Huang et al., published in Lancet Respiratory Medicine, was to characterise the longitudinal evolution of health outcomes in hospital survivors with different initial disease severity throughout 2 years after acute COVID-19 infection and to determine their recovery status. The study found thategardless of initial disease severity, COVID-19 survivors had longitudinal improvements in physical and mental health, with most returning to their original work within 2 years; however, the burden of symptomatic sequelae remained fairly high. COVID-19 survivors had a remarkably lower health status than the general population at 2 years. The study findings indicate that there is an urgent need to explore the pathogenesis of long COVID and develop effective interventions to reduce the risk of long COVID.
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News Article
Covid inquiry broadens scope to include children
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
The scope of the UK public inquiry into the handling of the Covid pandemic has widened to include a focus on children. When the draft terms were published in March, there was criticism that they failed to even mention the impact on children and young people. But after a public consultation, the final terms have been published and now incorporate the effect on the health, wellbeing and education of children. The final terms of reference were decided following a four-week public consultation on the draft terms. As well as expanding the terms to include the impact on the health, wellbeing and education of children and young people, the inquiry will also look at the wider mental health impact across the population. The focus on inequalities will also be strengthened, the inquiry said, so that the unequal impact on different sections of society will be considered at all stages. Alongside these issues, the UK-wide inquiry will also look at the following issues which were included originally: the UK's preparedness for the pandemic the use of lockdowns and other "non-pharmaceutical" interventions, such as social distancing and the use of face coverings the management of the pandemic in hospitals and care homes the procurement and provision of equipment like personal protective equipment and ventilators support for businesses and jobs, including the furlough scheme, as well as benefits and sick pay. Read full story Source: BBC News, 12 May 2022 -
News Article
Alarm after EHRC says long Covid should not be treated as disability
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
People suffering from long Covid have reacted with alarm to comments by government’s equalities watchdog that the condition should not be treated as a disability. Under the Equalities Act, anyone with a physical or mental impairment that has lasted for longer than 12 months and substantially impacted their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities qualifies as disabled and is entitled to protection to ensure that they aren’t discriminated against in the workplace. This includes requesting that their employer makes “reasonable adjustments”, such as flexible working hours or home working, to ensure that they can continue working. In a tweet posted on Sunday night, the Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), which was set up to promote and enforce equality and non-discrimination laws said: “Discussions continue on whether ‘long Covid’ symptoms constitute a disability. Without case law or scientific consensus, EHRC does not recommend that ‘long Covid’ be treated as a disability.” The statement prompted immediate concern and confusion from long Covid support groups and unions. Dr Jenny Ceolta-Smith, an employment advocate for Long Covid Support and co-founder of Occupational Therapy for Long Covid, said: “There is already disbelief of workers’ long Covid symptoms within the workplace, and this harmful announcement by the EHRC may make it much harder for workers to gain the support that they need from colleagues and line managers. It may even mean more jobs are lost.” Read full story Source: The Guardian, 9 May 2022- Posted
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Content ArticleEndurance athletes have been left using wheelchairs or barely able to walk. But the government acts like Covid is beaten, writes Rose George in this Guardian article.
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Event
Long COVID Physio International Forum
Sam posted an event in Community Calendar
untilLong COVID Physio will host the Long COVID Physio International Forum in partnership with Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions and Fisiocamera, sponsored by Kaiser Permanente and Realize Canada. The two day online forum will bring the lived experience to Long COVID, disability and rehabilitation. The Long COVID Physio International Forum is suitable for any audience, including health and social care professionals, people living with or affected by Long COVID or other conditions, academics, service providers, policymakers, students of allied health and rehabilitation professions, and people wanting to learn more. The Long COVID Physio International Forum programme will be released soon. Programme content will be delivered live and available on demand, covering three different streams: Science - learn the most up to date research from leaders in the field. Discussion - the hot discussions and debates on the topics we all want. Workshop - share knowledge and skills that make a difference. Registration will open June 15th 2022. Further details can be found here.- Posted
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Content ArticleThis study in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health aimed to investigate physical activity patterns in people with Long Covid, and the relationship between physical activity and Long Covid symptoms. It also aimed to find out the type of physical activity that people with Long Covid were being recommended, and what they were actually doing. The authors found that 75% of participants reported Long Covid symptoms worsening after physical activity. They also found that many participants received contradictory advice on whether or not to exercise with Long Covid.
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Content ArticleThis Swedish study in The BMJ aimed to quantify the risk of deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism and bleeding after Covid-19. The authors found that incidence rate ratios were significantly increased 70 days after covid-19 for deep vein thrombosis, 110 days for pulmonary embolism and 60 days for bleeding, when compared to the control period. The study demonstrates that Covid-19 is a risk factor for deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism and bleeding. Its results could impact recommendations on diagnostic and prophylactic strategies against venous thromboembolism after Covid-19.
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Content ArticleBritain’s next public health crisis is already looming: Long Covid. The numbers are stark. According to the Office for National Statistics, 1.5 million people in the UK have long Covid, 281,000 of whom are so ill that their ability to undertake day-to-day activities has been limited “a lot”. Ravi Veriah Jacques knows first hand how debilitating Long Covid can be. He is only 23. Before Covid struck, Ravi had just graduated from Stanford University and was halfway through a master’s degree at Tsinghua University, Beijing, as a Schwarzman scholar. However, he has been seriously ill for a full year. Hisy main symptom has been an intense fatigue that has forced me to spend up to 16 hours a day in bed and, when I do get up, I can’t do any strenuous activity without my symptoms worsening. Long Covid has put my life almost completely on hold. Yet Ravi has received no effective medical treatment. He is being seen in London at University College hospital’s Long Covid clinic, where he has been prescribed antihistamines and given advice on how to manage his symptoms. Neither measure has made a dent on his fatigue. Ravi's experience is far from unique. None of the more than 80 specialist NHS Long Covid clinics can offer longhaulers effective treatments. But the clinics aren’t the primary issue. The fundamental problem is that we lack treatments because research isn’t progressing fast enough.
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Content ArticleThis study in BMC Infectious Diseases aimed to determine whether there is an association between Covid-19 infection and acute appendicitis. The authors performed a single institution retrospective review of pre-procedure Covid-19 testing and indications for surgical intervention. They found a high prevalence of Covid-19 in both all testing and pre-procedure testing during the enrolment period and observed a high prevalence of acute appendicitis among patients identified to be Covid-positive during pre-procedure testing and without recognised symptoms of Covid-19.
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News Article
Only 29% of UK Covid hospital patients recover within a year
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Fewer than one in three people who have been hospitalised with Covid-19 have fully recovered a year after they succumbed to infection. That is the shock finding of a survey into the impact of long Covid in the UK. The team of scientists and doctors at Leicester University also found that women had poorer recovery rates than men after hospitalisation, while obesity was also likely to hinder a person’s prospects of health improvements. Among the symptoms reported by patients a year after their initial infection were fatigue, muscle pain, poor sleep and breathlessness. “Given that more than 750,000 people have been hospitalised in the UK with Covid-19 over the past two years, it is clear from our research that the legacy of this disease is going to be huge,” said Rachael Evans, one of the study’s authors. The team stressed their results show there is now an urgent need to develop ways to tackle Long Covid. “Without effective treatments, Long Covid could become a highly prevalent long-term condition,” said Professor Chris Brightling, another author. A critical factor in these poor rates of recovery was the lack of treatments that exist for Long Covid, added Professor Louise Wain, who was also involved in the study. “No specific therapeutics exist for long Covid and our data highlights that effective interventions are urgently required.” The researchers also found that many of those reporting impairment in the wake of their hospitalisation were suffering from persistent inflammation. “That suggests these groups might respond to anti-inflammatory strategies,” added Wain. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 24 April 2022 -
Content ArticleDr Roberta Heale, Associate Editor of Evidence-Based Nursing, speaks to Dr Elaine Maxwell, Nurse and author of two National Institute for Health Research reviews on evidence on Long COVID in this BMJ Talk Medicine podcast. They discuss the variance in reported Long COVID statistics, the impact of vaccinations, symptoms, and research efforts.
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Content ArticleChen et al. examined the worldwide prevalence of post COVID-19 condition, through a systematic review and meta-analysis. The research, published in the Journal of Infectious Disease, assessed 23 symptoms reported across 36 of the studies and found that shortness of breath, sleep problems, and joint pain was widely reported by those who had recovered from the novel coronavirus infection. They analysed the prevalence of this condition globally and regionally, estimating the proportion of individuals facing long Covid in Asia, Europe and North America. They found that the global prevalence for post-Covid conditions at 30, 60, 90 and 120 days after infection was about 37, 25, 32, and 49%, respectively. The authors concluded that post COVID-19 condition prevalence is substantial; the health effects of COVID-19 appear to be prolonged and can exert stress on the healthcare system.
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News ArticleAn analysis of data from 50 studies looking at 1.6 million people suggests that as much as 43% of those infected with the coronavirus experienced post-Covid conditions, pointing to the need for better diagnosis and care for “long Covid” patients. Post-Covid conditions are clinically defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as mid- and long-term symptoms – also known as Long Covid – occurring in individuals after infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The research, published this week in the Journal of Infectious Disease, assessed 23 symptoms reported across 36 of the studies and found that shortness of breath, sleep problems, and joint pain was widely reported by those who had recovered from the novel coronavirus infection. Researchers say fatigue (23%) and memory problems (14%) were the most common symptoms of individuals experiencing post-Covid conditions. While about 34% of non-hospitalised coronavirus patients report lingering post-Covid symptoms, scientists say this rate jumps to over 50% for hospitalised Covid patients. “Long Covid is quite common overall and across geographic regions, sex and acute COVID-19 severity. Knowing this, providers should take proactive approaches such that their patients are well-supported when experiencing long-term health effects of Covid-19,” scientists wrote in the study. Read full story Source: The Independent, 21 April 2022
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Content ArticleWhatever your standpoint on whether the pandemic is over, or what “living with the virus” should mean, it is clear some manifestation of Covid-19 will be with us for some time to come. Not least for the estimated 1.7 million people in the UK living with Long Covid. This is a now a large, well-documented, convergent cluster of clear physiological symptoms, and it is common to every part of the globe affected by Covid-19. Many sufferers are now disabled and deprived of their former passions, while some are unable to resume their former professions. Doctors and scientists the world over now consider this a recognised part of the Sars-CoV-2 symptom profile. We thought that the number of Long Covid cases developing might be lower when most cases were breakthrough cases in the vaccinated, or infections in vaccinated or partially vaccinated children. Sadly, far from any subsidence in new Long Covid cases, the big, ongoing caseloads of the Delta, Omicron and BA.2 waves have brought a large cohort of new sufferers. These waves have disproportionately affected primary and secondary schools, and many of the new sufferers are children. In this Guardian article, Danny Altmann discusses why a failure to recognise the need for a response to Long Covid could be a blunder we rue for decades to come
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Thousands of long Covid patients feared to be missing out on disability benefits
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Thousands of people unable to work because of the effects of Long Covid are feared to be missing out on financial support, with patients struggling to access and apply for the government’s disability benefits scheme. More than 300,000 people in the UK have been left with debilitating, persistent symptoms after catching the virus – but figures show only a tiny fraction of these have successfully claimed benefits. Politicians and campaign groups warn not enough has been done to remove barriers to applying for financial aid. “A vast number of severely impaired people are simply not getting the help they need and are entitled to,” said Dr Jo House, a spokesperson for Long Covid Support, which has around 50,000 members, the majority of whom are in the UK. Jenny Ceolta-Smith, of Long Covid Support’s employment group, said there were “multiple barriers in place” when applying for the disability benefit. She said the assessment process failed to take into account the episodic and fluctuating nature of the condition. “They might be able to perform a one-off activity, but then not do so later in the day,” she said. Read full story Source: The Independent,19 April 2022- Posted
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Content ArticleThe UK Government has announce a statutory public inquiry into the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic - the Hallett inquiry. However, in light of the wide-ranging impact of the pandemic, the inquiry faces a huge task to decide on the highest priority areas for investigation. This long read by Tim Gardner, Senior Policy Fellow at The Health Foundation, aims to examine what the parameters and structure of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry could be, and set out what it might realistically cover.
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Content Article'Cautious Tortoise' is an easy to follow flow chart that aims to guide parents and caregivers through the early steps of their child's recovery from Covid-19 and Long Covid, while supporting them to preserve energy to aid ongoing recovery. Alongside an infographic flow-chart, this webpage contains frequently asked questions about Covid-19 and Long Covid in children, including: What does the government advise? Long Covid Kids urge families to proceed cautiously When can a child be referred to a Long Covid Paediatric Hub? How many children get Long Covid? Long Covid Symptoms In Children What is post exertional malaise/post exertional symptom exacerbation? When is the right time to return to school?
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Content ArticleSince the Covid-19 pandemic began, a disproportionate number of BAME patients have reported not having their Long-Covid symptoms taking seriously. In this blog, Sheeva Azma looks at the impact of racial profiling on patient safety in the US, highlighting how health inequalities have worsened during the pandemic. She interviews Chimére Smith, who developed Long Covid after catching the virus in March 2020 and was left unable to work. Smith talks about the importance of representation in medicine, sharing how black doctors listened to her and took her seriously, when every white doctor she had seen dismissed her symptoms.
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Content ArticleMore and more people have been asking for a return to normal, and with omicron waning, governments are starting to act. The UK is removing its remaining public health measures, including mandatory self-isolation of COVID cases and free testing. However, the inescapable truth is that – unless the virus mutates to a milder form – the “normal” life we are returning to will be shorter and sicker on average than before. This article in The Conversation looks at how we need to live post-Covid.