Long Covid

After becoming ill with covid six months ago, Inside Science
presenter Adam Rutherford is only now getting back to normal. He
didn’t go to hospital and, like many, thought he’d be back on his
feet within a week or two. But his symptoms of fatigue and
shortness of breath are taking months to subside and he’s still
not 100%.


He is not alone. The scale of what’s become known as ‘long covid’
is only now coming to light. Tens of thousands of people are
still enduring serious and oddly diverse symptoms, having been
initially infected several months ago, from fatigue and muscle
aches, to blood clots and kidney failure.


One of the most striking aspects of the disease is the stark
differences in people’s experiences. Some recover quickly, while
others battle with distressing and long-lasting symptoms.


What are the underlying mechanisms driving these symptoms? What
is it about the virus SARS-CoV-2, and the immune response it
triggers, that could explain such widespread destruction in the
body? Could there be several subtypes of the disease?


A nationwide study, called PHOSP-COVID, is now underway to answer
these questions. It’s taking the long view - recruiting ten
thousand patients who were hospitalised with covid and following
them up for at least a year and, many, for much longer. Adam
explores the emerging science behind ‘long covid’ and asks what
the repercussions might be for patients, for the NHS and for
society.


Produced by Beth Eastwood. First broadcast on Tuesday 29
September 2020.