The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has published its systematic review of interventions to improve the symptoms of Long COVID. HIQA carried out this review at the request of the Health Service Executive (HSE) to inform updates to the HSE's Long COVID model of care.

Long COVID is a complex condition involving a wide range of symptoms that can be debilitating and vary significantly from person to person. The most common symptoms include fatigue, brain fog, memory loss and confusion, loss of smell, and shortness of breath. Although many people will experience an improvement in their symptoms over time, some can experience symptoms lasting years. 

HIQA’s review found 57 randomised controlled trials that considered interventions for adults with symptoms of Long COVID. A wide range of pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical interventions were identified, with most only examined in single studies. These studies were generally small, had short follow-up periods and typically only included people who had symptoms of Long COVID for less than one year. No definitively effective treatments were identified. There was also limited reporting on the safety of these interventions. 

Michelle O’Neill, Deputy Director of Health Technology Assessment said: "A clear treatment pathway for Long COVID remains unknown. Further research on the long term safety and effectiveness of the interventions included in this review is required. Additionally, a better understanding of the pathophysiology of Long COVID would help researchers in designing more targeted interventions that address the complex nature of Long COVID." 

Ms O’Neill continued: "In the meantime, healthcare professionals should provide a holistic, person-centred approach to the assessment and management of people with Long COVID. This is important as symptoms of Long COVID are highly diverse, vary in severity, and can fluctuate over time."

HIQA notes that there are hundreds of ongoing trials investigating potential interventions to manage the symptoms of Long COVID. This may lead to further evidence regarding potentially safe and effective interventions in due course.

At present, the best way to prevent Long COVID is to follow public health advice and minimise the risk of infection or reinfection with SARS-CoV-2. 

The full review can be found at the link at the top of the page.

Ends.

Further information:

Marty Whelan, Head of Communications & Stakeholder Engagement
01 814 7480/085 805 5202, mwhelan@hiqa.ie

Notes to Editor:

• HIQA has today published the following document to inform the HSE’s response to Long COVID:
  • Interventions to improve Long COVID symptoms: A systematic review
• The aim of HIQA’s review was to address the following research questions:
  • What interventions improve Long COVID symptoms? 
• The protocol for this systematic review is published here.
• HSE advice on how to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is available here. The current HSE advice in relation to the COVID-19 vaccination programme is available here.
• HIQA’s COVID-19 Evidence Synthesis Team provides evidence reports and evidence-based advice to the Department of Health to inform public health policy, advice and practice in the context of COVID-19.