Following peoples feedback about living with Long COVID, we are pleased to share information and support for people living with Long COVID, including a guide for returning back to work.
1. New NHS website – Supporting your recovery after COVID-19
As you find yourself recovering from COVID-19 you may still be coming to terms with the impact the virus has had on both your body and mind. These changes should get better over time, some may take longer than others, but there are things you can do to help. This new NHS website provides information to helps you to understand what has happened and what you might expect as part of your recovery.
It provides the following information.
The effects on your body and mind, including living with other conditions (Respiratory, Cardiovascular and Diabetes).
Your wellbeing, including sleeping well, eating well, getting moving again, support from family and friends, living with grief and bereavement.
Road to Recovery – returning home from hospital, managing daily actyivities, returning to work, when to ask for more help and information about online support called ‘Your Covid Recovery Programme’.
2. Long COVID Recovery Booklet
The Long COVID recovery booklet has been produced by Suffolk and North East Essex Long Covid Assessment Service. This booklet is for people living with Post COVID-19 Syndrome, which is also called Long COVID.
It provides supportive advice on how to manage some of the symptoms you may be experiencing. For example, breathlessness and fatigue, and provides help ways to build your recovering through diet, relaxation, breathing exercises, managing memory and concentration problems. Information from the team can also be found on their website
3. ENO Breathe
ENO Breathe is a breathing and wellbeing programme developed specifically for people recovering from COVID-19, who are still suffering from breathlessness and associated anxiety. Delivered by ENO in collaboration with Imperial College Healthcare teams entirely online, the programme is free and focuses on breathing re-training through singing.
No prior experience or interest in singing is required to take part in ENO Breathe. ENO Breathe is not a choir or singing group. It is a social prescribing (non-clinical) intervention that uses singing techniques to aid recovery from COVID-19.
4. Chronic Coughs and the Stop-Cough Technique
A chronic cough is a cough that persists for eight weeks or more. Many report it to be a dry cough with an irritation or tickling sensation. This is quite common but it can be distressing. The cough can be triggered by many factors such as talking, laughing, certain smells or sudden changes in temperature.
Produced by West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, the stop-cough technique are exercises designed to help reduce your over-sensitive cough reflex. If you can reduce the air flow and keep the air around the throat warm and moist it is often possible to stop coughing early.
5. Returning to work after COVID-19 Guide
This leaflet offers guidance for workers from Occupational Health (OH) Professionals on how to manage getting back to work after COVID-19 infection and Long COVID. Occupational Health Professionals specialise in health and work and have professional experience in helping people get back to work after illness. OH Professionals also help to prevent people being made unwell by their work.
This leaflet is relevant to those who are in a job already, and those who are looking for work or starting a new job.
