The Long Covid Self-Help Guide: Practical Ways to Manage Symptoms

I’m one of those 400,000 Brits who have now been battling with Long Covid since I got sick in March 2021. Before I went down with Covid, I enjoyed good health for my age (I’m in my mid-60s) and was active, enjoying two fitness classes a week, and loving my work as a writer and part-time Creative Writing tutor at the local college. My chief current symptoms are tinnitus, nasal drip, difficulty in sleeping, brain fog – though that is improving, swollen thyroid and lymph glands. And the one that concerns me most… fatigue – I had a terrifying relapse back in August that had me bedridden for a fortnight, where I could barely stagger to the toilet and back. And was too mentally exhausted to even care that I was so diminished. It’s taken months to get to a stage where I now feel confident enough to try to move on from spending hours a day either in bed or on the settee, because even now, I haven’t yet made up the ground I’d lost. So when I saw this book, I immediately ordered it.It does exactly what it says on the tin. It takes us through each of the major symptoms – I feel blessed that I could completely skip the chapter on breathlessness – explaining what is going on and providing a range of tips and exercises on how to overcome, or live more easily with the symptoms described. I found the chapter on fatigue really helpful, as it confirmed my hunch that I’d become under-active and needed to – very gently – step up my daily activity. I am also finding the chapter on Up-pacing invaluable. It’s the first time I’ve encountered this term and provides me with a way to structure an exercise programme to recondition my unfit, bed-softened body while minimising the risk of another major relapse where I’m too shattered to get out of bed.Overall, I’ve found the book massively helpful. And in amongst the good advice is the constant reminder that every patient is different, with varied experiences and health conditions, so will need to consider their own issues when working through their problems. It’s important and valuable advice to remember.Highly recommended for those suffering with Long Covid, or know someone close who is coping with this difficult chronic condition.10/10

Written by the experts who set up the Oxford long covid clinic, this self-help guide is very easy to read and contains the latest evidence based advice for people suffering from long covid. I bought the paperback version from Amazon for less that £10 - great value. I would recommend this book to anyone who is unlucky enough to have this debilitating condition

Delivery was great and it's a highly recommended book. Just need to read it.

Very well written, affirming, practical guidance for anyone now finding themselves experiencing Long Covid. It’s ideal for people new to this, or thinking about returning to work as there’s good advice about this too.As someone who has had long covid for over a year, I can’t say I learnt anything new but I’m still pleased that this has been produced. Thanks Oxford team! 🙏

Whilst this is not a book that can answer every question for every LC sufferer, it will provide a great deal of support and help to very many people.It pulls so much information into a single source. It is written by a group of doctors, but is practical in tone and language. There are many diagrams and useful templates for pacing etc.It might not be broad enough for some, especially those with a complex set of symptoms, but has useful info on: fatigue, breathlessness, sleep, mental health, return to work approaches, and screening tests/investigations.One of the most powerful elements of the bottom are all of he helpful quotes from LC sufferers. Overall it is positive and supportive in outlook and will provide encouragement to many that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

I would recommend this to anyone who has Long Covid. It’s packed full of useful advice on how to manage the condition. The team who wrote it really know their stuff!

This is an amazing book which details every bit of information needed. Would strongly recommend this book for anyone with Long Covid.

After receiving a diagnosis of long Covid I was recommended this book.It is brilliant and takes a lot of the fear out of the symptoms I have experienced. It is written with both knowledge and kindness.Thanks Emma and team!Bridget