This research is part of the long-term NHS CHECK project, which tracks the physical and mental health of NHS staff during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Previous studies in this project have explored caregivers’ experiences of support services, the prevalence of mental health problems, moral injury and suicidal thoughts.
Long Covid, as defined by NICE, encompasses symptoms such as fatigue, cognitive difficulties and anxiety persisting for at least 12 weeks after COVID-19 infection. More than four years after the appearance of the first cases, many questions still remain unanswered regarding the understanding and management of this syndrome.
Risk factors and a lack of diagnosis
The study collected data from more than 5,000 caregivers across three surveys conducted over a 32-month period. The findings indicate that certain groups are at higher risk of developing Long COVID, including women, people aged 51 to 60, those working directly with COVID-19 patients, and those with a history of respiratory conditions. or mental health.
The lack of formal diagnoses, despite the prevalence of symptoms, raises concerns that many health professionals may not seek care or be diagnosed correctly. Researchers highlight the urgent need to improve diagnostic practices and access to care for those suffering from Long COVID in the healthcare sector.
Dr Danielle Lamb, lead researcher of the study, highlights the importance of these findings: “We need to be particularly attentive to the impacts of this condition on the health and care sector, particularly among older workers and women, as well as staff with pre-existing physical and mental health conditions.”
Towards better care
The authors call for a better understanding of the complex mechanisms of the post-COVID-19 syndrome and the implementation of appropriate support measures for affected caregivers. An approach taking into account biomedical, psychological and social factors seems necessary to improve the management of this condition.
A lack of precise data in France
Although several studies have been carried out on the post-COVID-19 syndrome in France, it is clear that there is a lack of systematic monitoring and precise long-term statistics, particularly concerning health professionals. Unlike the British NHS CHECK study, which followed more than 5,000 caregivers over 32 months, France does not have such a large-scale monitoring system specifically dedicated to caregivers.
This lack of exhaustive and up-to-date data poses several problems:
- Difficulty in assessing the real extent of the phenomenon in the caregiver population
- Lack of information on the evolution of symptoms over time among health professionals
- Obstacles to the precise identification of risk factors specific to the French context
Santé Publique France has certainly carried out occasional surveys on the general population, but there is no specific and longitudinal data on health professionals. This gap prevents a thorough understanding of the impact of post-COVID-19 syndrome on this crucial group for the health system.
The full results of this study are published in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine sous le titre « Post COVID-19 syndrome among 5248 healthcare workers in England: longitudinal findings from NHS CHECK ».
