Objectives: To investigate the experience of people who continue to be unwell after acute COVID-19, often referred to as ‘long COVID’, both in terms of their symptoms and their interactions with healthcare.
Design: We conducted a mixed-methods analysis of responses to a survey accessed through a UK online post-COVID support and information hub between April and December 2020 about people’s experiences after having acute COVID-19.
Participants: 3290 respondents, 78% female 92.1% white ethnicity and median age range 45-54 years; 12.7% had been hospitalised. 494(16.5%) completed the survey between 4 and 8 weeks of the onset of their symptoms, 641(21.4%) between 8 and 12 weeks and 1865(62.1%) >12 weeks after.
Results: The ongoing symptoms most frequently reported were; breathing problems (92.1%), fatigue (83.3%), muscle weakness or joint stiffness (50.6%), sleep disturbances (46.2%), problems with mental abilities (45.9%) changes in mood, including anxiety and depression (43.1%) and cough (42.3%). Symptoms did not appear to be related to the severity of the acute illness or to the presence of pre-existing medical conditions. Analysis of free text responses revealed three main themes (1) Experience of living with COVID-19 – physical and psychological symptoms that fluctuate unpredictably; (2) Interactions with healthcare that were unsatisfactory; (3) Implications for the future – their own condition, society and the healthcare system, and the need for research
Conclusion: Consideration of patient perspective and experiences will assist in the planning of services to address problems persisting in people who remain symptomatic after the acute phase of COVID-19.