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Long COVID in healthcare workers: longitudinal mixed-methods study
Insights
Long COVID significantly impacts healthcare workers, affecting their quality of life and ability to work. Many HCWs face ongoing symptoms, reduced capacity, and financial insecurity, with limited improvement over time.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- Healthcare workers (HCWs) exhibit higher rates of long COVID (LC) compared to other professions.
- The long-term prognosis of LC remains uncertain.
- Workforce shortages are exacerbated by LC-related absenteeism and reduced productivity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the lived experiences of HCWs with LC.
- To assess the impact of LC on health-related quality of life (HRQL), healthcare utilization, work, personal life, and finances.
Main Methods:
- A longitudinal mixed-methods study involving online surveys and qualitative interviews conducted 6 months apart.
- Recruitment of HCWs experiencing self-reported LC via social media and NHS channels.
- Purposive sampling of interviewees from survey respondents.
Main Results:
- Persistent, relapsing, and evolving LC symptoms were reported by all participants, with an average of 7.1 symptoms at follow-up.
- A third of participants experienced significant limitations in daily activities.
- Most HCWs worked in reduced capacity (fewer hours, altered roles/locations), faced limited and unsatisfactory healthcare, and expressed fears regarding reinfection, future work capacity, and financial security.
Conclusions:
- HCWs continue to work while managing complex, dynamic LC symptoms that affect daily life and employment.
- Significant improvements in LC symptoms or quality of life were not widely reported over the study period.
- Concerns about future health and financial stability persist among HCWs with LC.
Background:
Healthcare workers (HCWs) report higher rates of long coronavirus disease (COVID) (LC) than other occupational groups. It is still unclear whether LC is a lifelong condition. Workforce shortfalls are apparent due to sick leave, reduced hours and lower productivity.
Aims:
To investigate the lived experience of LC on a range of HCWs, including impact on health-related quality-of-life (HRQL), use of health services, working and personal lives and household finances.
Methods:
Longitudinal mixed methods with online surveys and qualitative interviews 6-months apart. HCWs including healthcare professionals, ancillary and administration staff who self-report LC were recruited through social media and National Health Service channels. Interviewees were purposively sampled from survey responses.
Results:
The first survey was completed by 471 HCWs (S1) and 302 (64%) the follow-up (S2). A total of 50 HCWs were interviewed initially and 44 at second interview. All participants experienced various relapsing, remitting, changing and prolonged LC symptoms (mean 7.1 [SD 4.8] at S2) and a third reported day-to-day activities 'limited a lot'. Most participants were working in a reduced capacity: reduced hours, different role or location. Healthcare was limited, and often unsatisfactory. Participants feared reinfection, their future, ability to work and financial security (59% (n = 174) at S2). They experienced stigma, distress, grief for their former self and some felt unsupported, however, as awareness of LC grew some experienced improved understanding and support.
Conclusions:
Most participants continued working, managing complex and dynamic symptoms effecting their everyday life and ability to work. Most did not report significant improvements over time and feared for their future and financial security.
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