07.07.20
New £8.4m study launched into long-term impacts of Covid-19
The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) have launched a major new research study into the long-term impacts of Covid-19 on hospitalised patients, with £8.4m of funding awarded to the research.
The PHOSP-COVID study is set to be led by the NIHR Leicester Biomedical Research Centre – a partnership between the University of Leicester and the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust.
The expertise of a consortium of leading researchers and clinicians from across the UK will be drawn on to assess the impact of coronavirus on patient health and their recovery.
Around 10,000 patients are expected to take part in the study, making it one of the largest comprehensive studies in the world to understand and improve the health of survivors following hospitalisation from Covid-19.
Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said: “As we continue our fight against this global pandemic, we are learning more and more about the impact the disease can have not only on immediate health, but longer-term physical and mental health too.
“This world-leading study is another fantastic contribution from the UK’s world-leading life sciences and research sector. It will also help to ensure future treatment can be tailored as much as possible to the person.”
Chris Brightling, Professor of Respiratory Medicine at the University of Leicester, Consultant Respiratory Physician at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, and Chief Investigator for the study, added: “As we emerge from the first wave of the pandemic, we have new insights into the acute phase of this disease but very little information about patients’ long term needs.
“It is vitally important that we rapidly gather evidence on the longer term consequences of contracting severe COVID-19 so we can develop and test new treatment strategies for them and other people affected by future waves of the disease.”