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  7. General support and resources for COVID-19 recovery

General support and resources for COVID-19 recovery

Long Covid is when:

  • COVID-19 symptoms last more than 12 weeks or more after initial infection
  • Other medical reasons for these are excluded or unlikely.

Long Covid clinics

Long Covid clinics and rehabilitation empower patients by helping to improve understanding of symptoms and coping strategies to aid recovery. 

Details about Long Covid clinics can be found for each of the UK's four nations:

Clinics may close, or new services may open. Please check on your local hospital website if your area is not on the list. You can also talk to your GP about being referred to a Long Covid clinic.

Online resources

  • You can listen to a podcast where our research lead was interviewed about malnutrition, general dietary advice and symptoms, antihistamine diets and more.
  • Expert dietitian Elaine Anderson provides, alongside other experts, a talk about Long Covid, diet and nutrition on YouTube.
  • Age UK may be able to help if you are older and finding shopping difficult. Enter your postcode on their website to see if there is support in your area. This can include escorted shopping services, home delivery services and help with internet shopping. They accept self-referrals. Age UK also has more information on nutrition and diet for older people.
  • The Patient-led Research Collaborative website was developed by researchers who have had Long Covid themselves. It aims to provide more reliable information about Long Covid. There are also invitations to take part in ethically approved surveys or studies.
  • The NHS page on long-term effects of COVID-19 provides simple information and advice on managing symptoms.
  • Asthma and Lung UK provides dietary information for people with lung conditions which may be helpful for some people recovering from COVID-19.
  • A COVID-19 recovery and rehabilitation programme was developed by NHS Leicester in partnership with the BDA and other organisations. It contains e-learning sessions to address breathlessness, coughs and fatigue, as well as some recommendations for exercise in people recovering from COVID-19. 
  • The Long Covid SOS website includes a list of post-COVID clinics and online support resources in different languages. These are mainly about respiratory health and rehabilitation. There are also useful links to support groups across the world.
  • The Eat Well Guide is an NHS-sponsored website to learn tips, recommendations and recipes for a healthy diet. There are also guides for different diets, including the African and Caribbean Eatwell Guide, South Asian Eatwell Guide and Plant-based Eatwell Guide.

Other websites that are not focused on nutrition but contain reputable information and have links to support groups are:

Social media links for support groups

Social media can help you to talk to other people with similar experiences to yourself. This can be a great help, especially if you do not know anyone else who is going through the same thing as you.

While some suggestions about managing your symptoms might be useful, others may not be right for you. You should always check with your doctor or healthcare professional before following any advice about supplements or diet, excluding foods or taking substances recommended by others. 

Here are some examples of social media groups for people recovering from COVID-19:

Facebook groups include: