Manage a patient with long COVID symptoms in primary care by using shared decision-making to determine follow-up frequency, monitoring, and involvement of healthcare professionals, considering whether appointments should be in person or remote NICE CKS.
Encourage reporting of new or worsening symptoms and discuss changes in activities or routines NICE CKS.
Consider supported self-monitoring at home, including heart rate, blood pressure, pulse oximetry, or symptom diaries, with clear instructions on use and thresholds for seeking further help NICE CKS.
Share clinical records, care, and rehabilitation plans promptly between services, and provide the patient with copies of their records and plans NICE CKS.
Address specific symptoms appropriately, such as anxiety, breathlessness, chest pain, cough, depression, fatigue, headache, joint and muscle pain, palpitations, sleep disturbance, tinnitus, and other relevant issues, following appropriate guidelines NICE CKS.
Offer lifestyle advice, including management of pre-existing conditions, and discuss COVID vaccination, noting that vaccines may modestly improve symptoms but benefits vary NICE CKS.
Discuss options for self-management, including signposting to resources like the Your COVID Recovery website, social prescribing, peer support, and online platforms NICE CKS.
Arrange emergency admission for life-threatening signs, or referral based on clinical judgment, and involve multidisciplinary teams or specialist care as needed, using shared decision-making to tailor support and rehabilitation NICE CKS.