Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has for research into the long-term effects of covid-19 on people who contracted the virus but were never hospitalised.
The Department is aware of reports that those with milder illnesses of COVID-19 can experience ongoing symptoms. In light of these findings, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care convened a roundtable meeting with researchers and clinicians – including those specialising in community health – to establish what more can be done to understand and mitigate the long-term health effects of COVID-19.
We recognise the need for further research into the longer-term effects of the virus in those who did not require hospitalisation, and the Department is considering options for future work in this area.