UK - NHS England online tool and clinics for long Covid.

So is that it? A pamphlet and that's it? That's the whole thing?

There's something even more insulting about doing sub-par work over just not doing anything. It's like a clearly insincere apology. The NHS is clearly capable of moving quicker than other health care systems, but it moves in unnecessary directions, often in the only directions that are pointless to go into.



 
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-54449145

BBC News

Coronavirus: Specialist 'long Covid' clinics to be set up in England
People with "long Covid" symptoms will be offered specialist help at clinics across England, the head of NHS England has announced.

Sir Simon Stevens said there were "tens of thousands, probably hundreds of thousands" of patients affected.

People with relatively mild coronavirus infections as well as those who have been treated in intensive care can have persistent health problems for months.

The most common symptom of long Covid is crippling fatigue.

But breathlessness, joint pain, anxiety, brain fog and many other symptoms have also been reported.

And some estimates suggest one in 10 of those infected with the virus could be affected.

[...]
 
It seems that Dr Greenhalgh is not aware that she will be cynically manipulated by government only too happy to have cheerleaders in nice short outfits to match their cutting funding equally short while making it look longer. What is the point in funding a service that has node what it is supposed to recommend?
 
It seems that Dr Greenhalgh is not aware that she will be cynically manipulated by government only too happy to have cheerleaders in nice short outfits to match their cutting funding equally short while making it look longer. What is the point in funding a service that has node what it is supposed to recommend?

I get the impression that she's someone who is politically astute. I don't always agree with what she's astutely trying to achieve though.
 
I skimmed the NHS announcement and saw that they mention CPET.
NHS website said:
The new services will follow the launch of the long covid clinic at University College London Hospital earlier this summer where they have treated over 900 people with long Covid symptoms, including those who were not admitted to hospital with the illness. Patients at UCLH may also be given Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing (CPET), a 40 minute test which includes patients performing graded exercise on an upright bicycle breathing into a mouthpiece to test lung strength.

Is this an opportunity for someone to suggest doing 2-day CPET on COVID patients and then comparing those results to past studies with ME patients?

Or is that a bad idea for some reason?
 
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I skimmed the NHS announcement and saw that they mention CPET.


Is this an opportunity for someone to suggest doing 2-day CPET on COVID patients and then comparing those results to past studies with ME patients?

Or is that a bad idea for some reason?
I think they would have to restrict that to a properly registered and ethically approved study, because, if the long Covid patient has PEM, as some apparently do, they would need to be warned that CPET and especially 2 day CPET are likely to trigger PEM, and hold a risk of long term worsening, as does any instance of pushing beyond the energy envelope.

It sounds like they are using the single CPET to assess lung and heart function, which would presumably be a valid thing to do in patients where there may be lung and/or heart damage. But I'm no expert.

I agree it would be very interesting if they did a study of 2 day CPET in long Covid patients, with suitable warnings.
 


"what evidence base will they be using?"

TG's answer:

"Ours I hope!"

Does this hope imply TG thinks her team's research had gathered sufficient evidence that could form an adequate evidence base, so that no additional source of evidence nor research is needed for the guideline?

(Genuine question from a non-native speaker.)

Edited for clarity.
 
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