‘Long-Covid’ is the term to describe patients who are suffering from the ill-effects of the virus three months or more after first contracting it. So far, the condition remains little understood, despite an estimated one in ten patients displaying Long-Covid symptoms.
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) are funding four new research studies into Long-Covid in the community, according to their website. The funding will be given to four studies which were chosen from a UK-wide call to identify the best research programmes.
So, what exactly is Long-Covid? It is broadly understood to be a range of symptoms which can vary, but the most common complaints include breathlessness, headaches, cough, fatigue and ‘mental fogginess’. The UKRI and NIHR are also funding major studies into the disease in hospitalised patients.
Professor Fiona Watt, Executive Chair of the Medical Research Council, part of UKRI, said:
“There is increasing medical evidence and patient testimony showing that a significant minority of people who contract COVID suffer chronic symptoms for months after initially falling ill, irrespective of whether they were hospitalised.”
“These four large-scale projects will work with affected individuals to better understand and address these debilitating long-term impacts.”
The first project will be led by Professor Paul Elliott of Imperial College, London, and the funding will be spread over three years. The REACT Long-Covid project aims to better understand the genetic, biological, social, and environmental pathways of the condition. It will attempt to explain why some people experience symptoms and others do not.
The research will study 120,000 people in the community, with a mixture of those who tested both positive and negative for Covid-19. They will be asked to complete questionnaires about their symptoms, and also give regular updates to a panel.
They will also be sampled to compare genetic and biological features, which help the researchers to identify common indicators and investigate possible treatments.
Another study will try to identify therapies and treatments for Long-Covid. This will be led by Dr Shamil Haroon and Professor Melanie Calvert, of the University of Birmingham and will run over two years. The research will concentrate on 2,000 Long-Covid patients, who will be invited to record their symptoms on a digital platform.
A further select group of patients will have their heart rate, oxygen saturation, step count, and sleep quality monitored. The researchers will then use their evidence to recommend treatments that should be tested, which will be targeted for individual patient requirements.
A third project will be led by Professor Nishi Chaturvedi of University College London, and will run over three years. The project will aim to define why some people get the condition and not others, what the typical effects on a person’s health and ability to work are, and what factors affect recovery.
It will also look into the best ways of ensuring patients can access the right treatments and support. The survey will use data collected from 60,000 people selected from across all age ranges and geographical locations within the UK.
The fourth project will be led by Professor Sir Terence Stephenson of UCL Great Ormond Street, and will study the symptoms and risk factors of Long-Covid in children and young people. The aim is to establish a medical diagnosis and investigate potential treatments.
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