Long Covid to be treated ‘ like diabetes’
LONG Covid should be treated like other longterm conditions such as diabetes and be closely monitored, experts say.
Guidelines on managing the effects of the condition, also known as post-Covid syndrome, have been published for the NHS.
They give the condition a formal definition and are aimed at ensuring those affected receive appropriate care from GPs and hospital services.
The recommendations include providing extra support and raising awareness to help improve access to care, as well as more proactive ‘followup’ of people from vulnerable groups. They were produced jointly by the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network – which produces advice for the NHS – watchdogs the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the Royal College of General Practitioners.
Patients who are in hospital with coronavirus should be offered a follow-up examination six weeks later to check for ‘long Covid’ symptoms, from breathlessness to dizziness and chest pain.
Mental health problems including depression, anxiety and struggling to think clearly are also symptoms.
Asked about whether long Covid treatment should be provided by specialised clinics, Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: ‘Whether we do that in a clinic or maximise the excellent primary care system in Scotland and the relationships patients have with GPs is not yet finally decided but we should not discount the importance of primary care. We will look at that as we go.’
National Clinical Director Professor Jason Leitch said: ‘We should think of it as long Covid services. That’s how we treat pretty much every condition in the NHS. If you have epilepsy, diabetes or asthma there is a structure of where you will get treated.
‘The vast majority of asthmatics never go to a respiratory clinic. They are seen [by their GP]. They are managed very well by community nurses.
I think, in time, long Covid will look like that.’
Safia Qureshi, director of evidence for Healthcare Improvement Scotland, said: ‘ The publication of today’s guideline is an important stage in making sure that people who are experiencing long-term effects from Covid-19 get the right care and support.
‘We will update the guideline as new evidence emerges to ensure that patients and the clinical community can access the most up-to-date information on best practice and treatment options.’
A sizeable minority of people’s symptoms can persist or new symptoms develop, and can sometimes worsen and
‘Importance of primary care’ ‘Get right care and support’
have a detrimental impact on quality of life.
The guidelines say that people may have ongoing symptomatic Covid-19 if they still have symptoms four to 12 weeks after falling ill. They have postcoronavirus syndrome if their symptoms have not subsided after 12 weeks.
Joseph Carter, head of Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation Scotland, said: ‘ Given the latest estimates that one in 20 people who have Covid-19 suffer with long Covid, up to 5,400 people in Scotland could be experiencing these symptoms and require assistance from respiratory services during their recovery.’