Long-Term Illness/Long Covid Management
Optimising Your Workforce
Thankfully, Covid is not the killer it was. But still around 2 million people in the UK alone have some form of Long Covid, with comparable countries having similar rates or perhaps higher (with one US study even putting around 7% of the population as having some long-term Covid-based health issues).
Similarly, those out of work from long-term health or mental health difficulties continues to rise and, even with those in work, productivity is lost from acute seasonal illnesses and from many working shorter hours due to long-term health issues. Even those who feel normal in fact could be working sub-optimally due to some post-Covid cognitive decline.
Therefore, finding ways to reduce the burden of acute and long-term illness in organisations- as well as to find ways to gain competitive advantage by drawing on the neglected talents of chronically ill people- is very important in a post-pandemic world.
Relevant Expertise
After suffering an unusually bad viral illness while studying abroad (and suffering lingering symptoms for months), I learned how little is known about this area by many professionals. When Covid emerged and it became clear that a high proportion of people weren’t recovering, I was horrified to think that millions would have to go through the same experience with a worse virus.
From this, in 2020, from previously having read various studies on promising treatments for post-viral issues, I designed a drug trial for Long Covid patients and worked on the early stages of this with a leading post-viral illness researcher. In 2021, I helped set up an Essex Long Covid support group and in 2022 I arranged a meeting with a former UK PM’s office about this issue. In 2023, I wrote a successful trial policy on assisting the employment of those with long-term health issues for a major UK think tank.