A guideline on the persistent effects of COVID-19, known as Long COVID, is to be developed by NICE, the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN), and the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP).
It is estimated there could be as many as 60,000 people in the UK who probably have Long COVID, symptoms of which include on-going shortness of breath, fatigue, problems in the heart, lungs and kidneys, as well as neurological and musculoskeletal problems.
Persistent symptoms of COVID-19 have been reported by patients, regardless of how ill they were initially or if they were hospitalised.
Paul Chrisp, director of the Centre for Guidelines at NICE, said: “There is growing evidence to suggest COVID-19 is a multi-system disease that for many people involves persistent symptoms with longer term impacts on their health.
“It is important, therefore, that people requiring ongoing support and treatment are identified quickly and are supported by the NHS throughout every stage of their journey. We also want to ensure that clinicians have clear guidance on how best to support patients struggling with this newly emerging disease.”
The NICE/SIGN guideline, which should be published by the end of the year, will include: a formal definition of the disease, how to identify on-going symptoms and a definition of best practice investigation and treatment options to support the management of the condition.
Roberta James, programme lead for SIGN, said that national guidance will help to align services with the needs of people who may be at risk of receiving inconsistent care and will support health and care services with recommendations on monitoring, testing, treatment options and the provision of advice and support for those who are experiencing these long-term effects.
Professor Martin Marshall, Chair of the Royal College of GPs, added: “It aims to support GPs and other healthcare professionals to ensure all patients with long-term effects of COVID-19, including those diagnosed in the community irrespective of whether they received a positive test or not, can be cared for in the best possible way, based on the latest evidence.”
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