News / coronavirus
Bristol researchers collaborate on national study on long Covid
A nationwide study of long Covid will include Bristol’s Children of the 90s health study, based at the University of Bristol.
Around 90 per cent of people with coronavirus are not admitted to hospital with many having minimal or no symptoms and most recovering completely.
But a meaningful number report persistent and disabling physical and mental health symptoms, officially called post-Covid-19 syndrome but widely known as ‘long Covid’.
is needed now More than ever
Current projections estimate one in 20 people with a Covid-19 infection will still have symptoms beyond two months – meaning a substantial healthcare investment is needed to treat and support those with the condition.
The new study, led by University College London (UCL), will address the following questions:
- What is long Covid and how can it be diagnosed?
- What are the risk factors for long Covid?
- What are the impacts of long Covid on health, finances, family and wellbeing?
- What primary care treatment and support plans will best support those affected?
Participants in the Children of the 90s study (along with other participants in other similar ‘cohort studies’ across the UK) will report on their long Covid symptoms by wearing a wrist band to measure exercise ability, breathing, and heart rate.
They will also be asked to complete online questionnaires on mental health and cognitive function.
Subsequently, participants will then be invited to visit a London clinic for non-invasive imaging to look at potential damage to vital organs, such as the brain, lungs and heart.
Professor Nic Timpson, principal investigator at Children of the 90s, said: “Bristol’s Children of the 90s participants should be proud that through their contribution, this study will enable better diagnostic tools for long Covid, and a clearer understanding of the condition itself.
“Population health studies and linked health records offer an important mechanism to study long Covid and its impact, with decades of detailed health data and our participants’ long-term contribution to science and health research.”
Main photo: Martin Booth
Read more: Details of Bristol’s clean air zone finally confirmed
Our top newsletters emailed directly to you
