BBC Morning Live Doctor Oscar Duke clarifies Long Covid treatment after new study

Dr Oscar Duke, speaking on BBC Morning Live today, attempted to dispel myths surrounding Long Covid amid recent headlines. The healthcare expert from London underscored that while there are numerous theories on how to treat the condition, research providing strong evidence is scarce.

Speaking to the show's presenters, he explained: "Long Covid is a huge problem, about 1.8% of people who've had Covid suffer with Long Covid. And we tend to say that these are symptoms from Covid, so you have your acute infection, and then these are symptoms that persist beyond generally three months or so, to sort of give it a cut-off.

"But, of course any of these symptoms can be really debilitating, it can be anything from shortness of breath to brain fog - there is a whole host of different things. And with that, a whole host of different theories of ways that you could potentially treat Long Covid."

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Dr Duke encouraged the public to look out for studies employing 'meta-analysis'—a method that reviews various studies—to determine effective treatments. This includes a new paper published in the British Medical Journal last week, which looked at data from 3,695 patients across 24 trials.

Their significant finding was that approaches like hyperbaric oxygen chambers and coenzyme Q10 supplements showed 'no compelling evidence' of improving Long Covid symptoms. However, 'moderate certainty evidence' indicates that cognitive behavioural therapy, along with physical and mental health rehabilitation, can be effective in managing Long Covid symptoms like fatigue and brain fog.

Intermittent aerobic exercise was praised by scientists too, as it reportedly 'improves physical function' compared with continuous exercise. Yet, Dr Duke emphasised the need for further research to fully comprehend Long Covid and its optimal treatments.

This mirrors guidance from the NHS which stresses that it's 'a new condition which is still being studied'. "It's really, really difficult and I think we need more evidence," Dr Duke summarised. "We don't have a definite answer yet."

The NHS' full list of the most common Long Covid symptoms is below:

• Heart palpitations

• Dizziness

• Muscle aches and joint pain

• Extreme fatigue

• Shortness of breath

• Brain fog/concentration issues