Researchers in the Greater Manchester area are looking for people with Long COVID to volunteer for their study. Current participants say their involvement has had a positive impact on their well-being, and they encourage others to join, as well.*

The burden of Long COVID

Many people recover from a COVID-19 infection within a few weeks but, for millions of people across the globe, symptoms can remain for months or even years beyond their initial infection. This collection of long-term symptoms is known as Long COVID. People with Long COVID can experience a wide variety of ongoing symptoms, such as:

• Feeling out of breath,
• Exhaustion, 
• Brain fog, and
• Persistent cough.

“For some people, Long COVID is a temporary experience,” says Nawar Bakerly, lead author of the Help BEAT Coronavirus campaign, and respiratory consultant at the Salford Royal Hospital. “For others, it is badly affecting their health and well-being, with some people being too sick to work or exercise.” 

Bakerly and his colleagues are working hard to learn more about this debilitating condition, and if you live in the Bolton area, they are asking for your help.

About Help BEAT Coronavirus 

The Help BEAT Coronavirus campaign is a part of an initiative from the National Institute for Health and Care Research Network Greater Manchester called “Research for the Future”. 

Research for the campaign is being done at the Salford Royal Hospital, and approximately 3,000 participants are currently involved. Scientists are calling for more volunteers to help them better understand the condition.

Bakerly says, “We urgently need more people who suffer from Long COVID to register for our campaign and help us find out more about the condition so we can help the thousands of people still suffering from its effects.”

Working together to find answers

Current study volunteer, Victoria Gibson of Chorley, says her symptoms of Long COVID have made her a different person than she was before she got sick. Before getting COVID, she was active, outgoing, and full of life. Now, she must keep an oxygen machine in her home, and it can be difficult for her to even walk from her bedroom to the bathroom.

Despite her ongoing symptoms, she says being involved in the study has positively affected her life.

“I’d encourage people with Long COVID to sign up to the research,” she says. “Not only are you helping yourself and others, it’s a great way to meet other people who have similar stories and can share advice.”

She goes on to say that the only way to move forward is by working together. “Together we can find the answers. We can’t work in isolation. I’m confident they will find something to help all Long COVID sufferers. It’s the only way we can get through this.”

If you want to get involved in the study, you can register online at www.researchforthefuture.org/register. You can also text RESEARCH and your name to 81400.

*Finney, L. (2022, December 30). Sufferers of Long COVID Wanted for Research into Debilitating Condition. Yahoo! News. https://uk.news.yahoo.com/sufferers-long-covid-wanted-research-050000830.html