03 Oct 2024
New findings from a significant study, supported by NIHR ARC North Thames and conducted by researchers from University College London and King’s College London, has found that 33.6% of surveyed healthcare workers in England report symptoms consistent with post-COVID syndrome (PCS), more commonly known as Long COVID. Yet only 7.4% of respondents reported that they have received a formal diagnosis.
The research is part of the wider long-term NHS CHECK study that is tracking the mental and physical health of NHS staff throughout and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. Other research by NHS CHECK has included healthcare workers’ experiences of support services, prevalence of mental health problems, moral injury, and suicidal thoughts.
The study used the NICE definition of Long COVID, which includes symptoms like fatigue, cognitive difficulties, and anxiety for 12 weeks or more after they've had COVID.
After four and a half years since it was first described, there is still a lot to learn about Long COVID. This study has sought to explore how common Long COVID is among healthcare workers and if certain people are more likely to develop it than others.
The research was led by Dr Danielle Lamb, Mixed methods researcher in the NIHR ARC North Thames Research Partnership Team and Senior Research Fellow at University College London’s Institute of Epidemiology & Health Care, who said:
“COVID-19 has not gone away. We know that more infections mean more people are at risk of developing Long COVID. This research shows that we should be particularly concerned about the impacts of this on the health and social care sector, especially in older and female workers, and staff with pre-existing physical and mental health conditions. We now need to better understand the complex interplay between biomedical, psychological, and social factors that affect people's experiences of Long COVID, and how healthcare workers with this condition can best be supported.”
The study team collaborated with a Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) panel of 16 healthcare workers with Long COVID. The panel helped design the research by developing the study questions, shaping the analysis, and interpreting the results.
The study’s Co-Lead, Dr Brendan Dempsey, Research Fellow at University College London, said:
“Collaborating with the healthcare workers who formed our PPIE group has been really important in making sure that we are conducting research that is relevant to them. They also helped interpret our results, sharing their own experiences of living with Long COVID and working in the NHS.”
To gather the survey findings, data was gathered from over 5,000 healthcare workers across three surveys spanning 32 months. The research found that potential risk factors for Long COVID included: being female, being between 51 and 60 years of age, directly working with COVID-19 patients, having pre-existing respiratory conditions, and having existing mental health issues.
The lack of formal diagnosis, despite the widespread prevalence of symptoms, raises concerns that healthcare professionals with Long COVID symptoms are not seeking care or are not being diagnosed. The research team calls for urgent improvements in diagnostic practices and access to support for those living with Long COVID in the healthcare sector.
The research was funded by The Colt Foundation and supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaboration North Thames. It was a collaboration between University College London, King’s College London, and 18 participating NHS Trusts.
