Long Covid – The illness narratives

Rushforth, Alexander; Ladds, Emma; Wieringa, Sietse; Taylor, Sharon; Husain, Laiba; Greenhalgh, Trisha

doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.114326

Cited by 89 publications

(156 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…Several expressed that they suffered from a condition with cognitive dysfunction and memory loss, which was called ‘brain fog’. This feature is previously shown in other studies [ 30 , 37 ]. The authors of an international online survey with 3762 respondents from 56 countries reported that 55% experienced ‘brain fog’ 7 months after onset of Covid-19 [ 10 ], indicating that ‘brain-fog’ is a common and long-lasting symptom.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

‘Brain fog’, guilt, and gratitude: experiences of symptoms and life changes in older survivors 6 months after hospitalisation for COVID-19

et al. 2022

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Purpose Several of those who have been infected with COVID-19 suffer from the post-COVID-19 condition months after the acute infection. Little is known about how older survivors have experienced the consequences and how these have affected their lives. The aim of this study was to explore how older survivors experienced post-COVID-19 condition and life changes approximately 6 months after hospitalisation for COVID-19. Methods The study had an explorative and descriptive design. Semi-structured interviews were performed with 17 participants from two local hospitals, 11 men and 6 women, aged 60 years and older (age range 60–96), approximately 6 months after hospitalisation for COVID-19. A thematic descriptive analysis inspired by Braun and Clarke was used. Results Two main themes and seven subthemes were revealed. The main themes were: From few to various persistent symptoms and Existential thoughts and reflections. Most of the participants experienced various physical and/or cognitive symptoms, such as reduced physical fitness, heavy breathing, fatigue, and ‘brain fog’. On the other hand, they also experienced guilt and gratitude for having survived. The recognition of having achieved other life perspectives was also present. Conclusion Six months after undergone COVID-19 the participants still experienced various distressing symptoms, which were in line with larger studies. The novel findings of this study were connected to the existential area, where the patients’ thoughts and reflections of guilt, gratitude, and new life perspectives were revealed. These findings are important for health professionals to consider when treating patients after COVID-19.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

‘Brain fog’, guilt, and gratitude: experiences of symptoms and life changes in older survivors 6 months after hospitalisation for COVID-19

et al. 2022

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“…Lastly, it is interesting that COVID-19 long haul, as an illness, was initially rejected by the medical community [ 37 ], while social media became the outlets where survivors reported their conditions. Social media reports on COVID-19 long haul started a movement [ 37 , 38 ] that expanded the known symptomatology to include protracted illness [ 39 ] and directed the spotlight on the sequelae of the disease.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Long Haul COVID-19 Videos on YouTube: Implications for Health Communication

et al. 2022

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The term COVID-19 “long haul” originated on social media and was later studied by the scientific community. This study describes content related to persistent COVID-19 symptoms on YouTube. The 100 most viewed English-language videos identified with the keywords “COVID-19 long haul” were assessed for video origin, engagement, and content related to COVID-19 long-haul. The findings indicate that the majority of videos were uploaded by television or internet news (56%), followed by consumers (members of the public, 32%), health professionals (only 9%), and lastly by entertainment TV (non-news programs, 3%). Videos originating from entertainment TV were significantly more likely to be “liked” than videos from other sources. The most commonly mentioned long-haul symptoms in the videos were physical (fatigue, 73%; difficulty breathing/shortness of breath, 56%; and joint or muscle pain, 49%) and cognitive (difficulty thinking or concentrating; 69%). The case of COVID-19 long haul demonstrates that social media are significant fora whereon the public identify health concerns. It is necessary for healthcare professionals to assume an active and responsible role in social media.

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“…Our participants also emphasised the integral role that online resources and connections with others played in educating them about the COVID risks that they faced in relation to their pre-existing condition. For them, as for the British participants with long COVID ( Rushforth et al, 2021 ) and people living with dementia and their family carers ( Tuijt et al, 2021 ), online resources constituted an important therapeutic space. Several participants noted that they provided care and support to other people in their lives, such as their elderly parent, partner and friends, using both in-person and online connections.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, one study using remote home visits facilitated by video-calling software explored how Australian adults across a range of age groups dealt with feelings of isolation, boredom and loneliness by connecting with others using digital technologies such as video and messaging apps ( Watson et al, 2021 ). Two British studies – an analysis of English people experiencing ‘long COVID’ by Rushforth and colleagues ( 2021 ) and an interview study of people living with dementia and their family carers ( Tuijt et al, 2021 ) – highlighted the importance of the online support that people experienced. Another project employed autoethnography to identify the role played by digital health technologies together with home-based objects and spaces in the author's therapeutic landscapes and mobilities as she lived through lockdown conditions in the UK ( Thompson, 2021 ).…”

Section: Conceptual Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%