Findings

What?

We will identify predisposing risk factors for long COVID, addressing sociodemographic factors and pre-pandemic health, along with severity of initial COVID-19 illness.

Why?

Long COVID likely represents a complex and diverse set of aetiological factors, not all of which may be shared between long COVID patients or be common determinants of developing COVID-19. Identifying the distinct mechanisms responsible for individuals suffering prolonged symptoms will provide pathways to novel treatments and potentially patient stratification. It may also inform us of the members of society most vulnerable to long COVID were they to be infected, and thus guide public health and vaccine prioritisation (in the remaining schedule and in future for the administration of boosters).

How?

Utilising rich antecedent data on individuals from before the pandemic, which have been recorded either routinely in EHRs or in decades of bespoke follow-ups in the cohort studies

What?

The long COVID  Outcome research theme will examine and understand short term and long term physical health, mental health and social outcomes of COVID infection and the subsequent long COVID period.

Why?

COVID has profound direct and indirect effects on society and human health. This work package will aim to understand these effects on human physical and mental health and the way patients interact with the healthcare system with the aim of designing interventions targeting populations most at need. Conversely, we use diverse data sources in order to identify and characterize factors influencing the recovery from long COVID .

How?

This will be achieved by harnessing the breadth of national electronic health record data sources linked across care settings and the phenotypic depth of cohort studies.