planning care (Long COVID)

Last edited 03/2021 and last reviewed 07/2021

Planning care

For full details then see NICE guideline [NG188]

These recommendations are for healthcare professionals caring for people with ongoing symptomatic COVID-19 or post-COVID-19 syndrome who have been assessed in primary care or a multidisciplinary assessment service.

After the holistic assessment, use shared decision making to discuss and agree with the person (and their family or carers, if appropriate) what support and rehabilitation they need and how this will be provided. This should include:

• advice on self-management, with the option of supported self-management (see the section on self-management and supported self-management) and
• one of the following, depending on clinical need and local pathways:
  • support from integrated and coordinated primary care, community, rehabilitation and mental health services
  • referral to an integrated multidisciplinary assessment service
  • referral to specialist care for specific complications

When discussing with the person the appropriate level of support and management:

• think about the overall impact their symptoms are having on their life, even if each individual symptom alone may not warrant referral
• look at the overall trajectory of their symptoms, taking into account that symptoms often fluctuate and recur so they might need different levels of support at different times.

Reference:

• NICE (December 2020). COVID-19 rapid guideline: managing the long-term effects of COVID-19