Investigation into longterm effects of Covid-19

The long-term health effects of Covid-19 could cause a “cycle of illness” and strain care systems, researchers have said, adding that the reasons behind them are still “so unknown”.

Many corona virus patients have reported debilitating symptoms months after initially falling ill, with common “long Covid” symptoms including breathlessness, chronic fatigue and brain fog.

Dr Rachael Evans is a coinvestigator with the Government-funded £8.4 million PHOSP-COVID study at the University of Leicester, a Uk-wide investigation into the long-term effects of Covid -19 for patients admitted to hospital.

“At the moment it is just so unknown… we’re still very much at the point where we’re learning what the after- effect s are,” Dr Evans said.

“It has become very apparent that the longterm effects can happen to people that were young and fit before and perhaps had a fairly mild acute illness… enough to bring them to hospital but maybe only a day or two.”

Dr Evans, a respirator y consultant, said pneumonia patients can take up to three months to fully recover in rare cases – but Covid patients still have symptoms six months on.

Dr Evans said P HOSP-Covid will interview patients and assess their physical function and mental health, also taking samples to analyse their genes and immune system.