Therapies for Long COVID in non-hospitalised individuals: From symptoms, patient-reported outcomes and immunology to targeted therapies (The TLC Study)

Background: Some people who have survived COVID-19 infection develop longer-lasting symptoms, known as Long COVID. Many lack support and are given conflicting advice. Aim: To work out which treatments are most likely to benefit people with particular symptoms and test supportive treatments to improve their quality of life. Design and methods Work package 1 will identify people that had COVID-19 from GP records. Study participants will be invited to use a digital platform to report Long COVID symptoms/quality of life. Work package 2 will assess Long COVID symptoms. Participants with severe symptoms will be contacted by a nurse to provide advice/support. Blood test results and wearable data will help us understand which treatments might be best to support specific groups of Long COVID patients. Work package 3 will review evidence for treatments for Long COVID including drugs or supportive interventions (e.g. for mental health or tiredness). Working with patients, doctors and other experts we will recommend treatments that should be tested in Long COVID patients and develop supportive interventions which can be delivered using the Long COVID platform. Work package 4 will establish a digital trial using the Long COVID platform to test whether supportive interventions can benefit Long COVID patients by reducing their symptoms and improving their quality of life and if the intervention is good value for money. Patient and public involvement People with COVID lived experience have co-designed this research proposal and the research platform. A lived experience advisory panel will work with us throughout the project and meet regularly to contribute to all aspects of the study. Dissemination Results will be published, presented at conferences and made available for use by other researchers. We will host a study-specific website and Twitter account and will share lay summaries coproduced with our patient partners.