Living with covid-19
BMJ 2020; 370 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m3392 (Published 03 September 2020) Cite this as: BMJ 2020;370:m3392Read our latest coverage of the coronavirus outbreak
All rapid responses
Rapid responses are electronic comments to the editor. They enable our users to debate issues raised in articles published on bmj.com. A rapid response is first posted online. If you need the URL (web address) of an individual response, simply click on the response headline and copy the URL from the browser window. A proportion of responses will, after editing, be published online and in the print journal as letters, which are indexed in PubMed. Rapid responses are not indexed in PubMed and they are not journal articles. The BMJ reserves the right to remove responses which are being wilfully misrepresented as published articles or when it is brought to our attention that a response spreads misinformation.
From March 2022, the word limit for rapid responses will be 600 words not including references and author details. We will no longer post responses that exceed this limit.
The word limit for letters selected from posted responses remains 300 words.
Dear Editor
I have had ME for 32 years. It seems another cohort of patients with long covid are being gaslighted. When are you going to learn to listen to your patients?
Competing interests: No competing interests
Dear Editor,
For some who are out of the haunting memories of Covid hospital stay-ward / ICU with HFNO or intubation, the end of discomfort may not be in clear sight. Persistent nagging symptoms - vague and some clearly undefined - can take a toll on body, mind and wellbeing. The QoL is left poorer and worse still is the uncertainty of the future. Needless to add, as the body of such data grows some standardized approach both investigative and therapeutic needs to emerge for management of distressing long course covid systems; a fraction may require rehabilitative measures / counselling.
Dr Murar E Yeolekar, Mumbai.
Competing interests: No competing interests
Dear Editor
One person, one seat cover
People are allowed freely to go to office work, hotels and meetings in small gatherings during unlocking now.
To prevent COVID-19 in the work place, in meeting hall chambers and in other places and even during air and other public transport travel, a low cost disposable chair cover if possible for one person one seat cover should be used and implemented in all required places. This is the need of the hour to prevent COVID-19 spread and to live with COVID-19 Pandemic for some more months till the present conditions are cleared.
Competing interests: No competing interests
COVID-19 Community Rehabilitation Needs Audit
Dear Editor
COVID-19 Community Rehabilitation Needs Audit
Central London Community Healthcare (CLCH) NHS Trust provides services across eleven out of thirty two London boroughs and the county of Hertfordshire. The Trust has been caring and enabling people to live with post-acute or long covid.
A recent internal audit entitled “COVID-19 Community Rehabilitation Needs Audit” highlighted the impact of therapy provided by multidisciplinary team on people with persistent post Covid symptoms (so called “long haulers”). Patients' symptoms included breathlessness, fatigue, muscle weakness, pain, psychological/mood disorders, cognitive impairment, unplanned weight loss, swallowing difficulties and changes to voice. These were assessed initially and then on discharge. Their social care needs were addressed too.
Post Covid patients’ symptoms improved in all respect after period of community rehabilitation. This reahabilitation programme to improve patients’ functional abilities and wellbeing and data compilation were lauded as “excellent” by patient and their families. Relieving people from burden of ill health, disabilities and social care needs, boosted staff morale and satisfaction.
Competing interests: Pleased and proud to be a CLCH employee