Coronavirus Mini-Series #7 – Long COVID (Nisreen Alwan & Susan Michie)

Stu is joined by Dr Nisreen Alwan & Prof Susan Michie. Nisreen is Associate Professor in Public Health, University of Southampton. Susan is Director, UCL Centre for Behaviour Change & a committee member of Independent Sage.

Nisreen shares her experience of long COVID, what it means and its effects. They look at how both those with long COVID and healthcare workers are affected - how the range of symptoms can be difficult to diagnose, causing anxiety. Plus, the challenge for patients of managing with such unpredictability.
Nisreen and Susan discuss the evidence of who is at risk, including young people. And how the public messaging around COVID could do more to alert this group of the risks to their health & wellbeing. Nisreen shares the support available through healthcare and peer support.  And Susan shares how indieSAGE will be discussing it in order to advise the government.

Additional resources:

• Nature: A negative COVID-19 test does not mean recovery
• The Lancet: Underestimating the burden
• BMJ: What is mild covid-19?
• Wellcome: Why the Term 'Long Covid' is needed
• BMJ: From doctors as patients
• Royal Society Report
• NIHR: Living with Covid19
• NHS: recovery guidance
• The Guardian: lingering heart damage
• JAMA: Long-term Health Consequences
• BJGP: Finding the 'right' GP