Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

NHS observatory to study impact of long Covid in minorities

NHS observatory to study impact of long Covid in minorities

THE NHS race and health observatory started a three-year study to investigate the long-term impact of Covid on NHS workers across the UK from ethnic backgrounds. 

The new 'Reach-Out’ research will be led by the University of Leicester in collaboration with UCL, University of Nottingham, national stakeholders and front-line healthcare workers.


According to a statement, data has already been collected from over 18,000 healthcare workers from a range of ethnicities as part of earlier mixed-methods studies conducted by UK-REACH.

The data collected between December 2020 and July 2021 will now be analysed with data updated to reflect participants’ feedback over time as part of the new study starting in December.

Feedback from participants through further questionnaires, structured interviews and focus groups will examine levels of support, availability and effectiveness of various treatments for managing the impacts of acute and long-Covid.

Recent figures from the Office for National Statistics estimate around 1.2 million people in the UK have long-COVID symptoms.

Dr Habib Naqvi, director of the Observatory, said: "People from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds have shouldered a disproportionate burden in the Covid-19 pandemic, and we are increasingly concerned that history is repeating itself in the case of long-Covid.

Black, Asian and minority ethnic healthcare workers, who make nearly 25 per cet of NHS staff, are at high risk of Covid-19 infection and adverse outcomes. The ongoing mental, physical and occupational impacts of long-Covid on healthcare staff and on patient care are as yet unknown. Urgent research is needed to aid the recovery of the healthcare system, and this programme of work will help to support that.”

Long-Covid symptoms range from extreme fatigue, lack of smell and taste and joint pain, to heart palpitations and issues with memory, the statement added.

Mario Andrew Alfonso, an anaesthetic nurse, said: "I am a Covid-19 survivor who has been suffering from the effects of the long covid syndrome. I continue to experience a variety of symptoms that affects numerous systems in my body after recovering from an acute infection of Covid in 2020. It's not just long-term physical effects but also the long-term mental effects and their impact on your psychological wellbeing."

Dr Manish Pareek, associate clinical professor, infectious diseases and chief investigator of UK-REACH, University of Leicester, said: “Healthcare workers have been disproportionately affected by Covid-19 and there is emerging data on the long-term implication of having Covid-19 – so-called long-Covid in this group. Unfortunately, long-Covid in healthcare workers remains poorly understood and we are delighted that REACH-OUT will build on the work of UK-REACH to research this area and inform the NHS and policy-makers.”

Prof Katherine Woolf of UCL Medical School, said: “A quarter of NHS staff, and nearly a third of the study’s participants are from ethnic minority groups. Unfortunately, they have been particularly hard-hit by the pandemic, so it’s especially important to find out how they can be supported to recover.”

More For You

Pushkar Singh Dhami

Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said the law promotes 'equality.' (Photo: X/@pushkardhami)

India's Uttarakhand implements common civil code

THE INDIAN state of Uttarakhand has begun implementing a common civil code to replace religious laws, a move that has raised concerns among minority Muslims about a possible nationwide rollout by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Indian prime minister Narendra Modi’s BJP has long advocated for a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) to standardise laws on marriage, divorce, and inheritance across India. On Monday, Uttarakhand became the second Indian state to enact such a law.

Keep ReadingShow less
Yunus dismisses Bangladesh’s growth boom as ‘false narrative’

Muhammad Yunus

Yunus dismisses Bangladesh’s growth boom as ‘false narrative’

BANGLADESH’S interim leader, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, said last Thursday (23) that the country's high growth under ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina was “fake” and criticised the world for failing to question her alleged corruption.

Yunus, 84, an economist and 2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner, assumed leadership of the south Asian country’s interim government in August after Hasina fled to India following weeks of violent protests.

Keep ReadingShow less
Asian bishop in Liverpool quits after sexual assault claims

Right Reverend Dr John Perumbalath (Photo: Church of England)

Asian bishop in Liverpool quits after sexual assault claims

THE Bishop of Liverpool said on Thursday (30) he was stepping down from his post after a British broadcaster aired allegations of sexual assault and harassment against him.

His resignation comes just weeks after Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, leader of the world's Anglicans, also stepped down over failures in the Church of England's handling of a serial abuse case.

Keep ReadingShow less
washington-crash-reuters

Debris is seen at the site of the crash, after American Eagle flight 5342 collided with a Black Hawk helicopter while approaching Reagan Washington National Airport and crashed into the Potomac River. (Photo: Reuters)

Scores feared dead after jet and helicopter collision in Washington

AN AMERICAN Airlines regional passenger jet carrying 64 people and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter collided midair and crashed into the Potomac River near Reagan Washington National Airport on Wednesday night.

Officials have not confirmed the number of casualties, but many are feared dead.

Keep ReadingShow less
kumbh-satellite-reuters

A satellite image shows a crowd of people along banks of Yamuna river, following a stampede at the Maha Kumbh Mela on January 29. (Photo: Maxar Technologies/Handout via REUTERS)

Massive crowds return to Maha Kumbh festival day after deadly stampede

MILLIONS of Hindu devotees gathered in Prayagraj, northern India, on Thursday for the Maha Kumbh festival, a day after a stampede killed dozens during the event’s most significant bathing day.

Despite the large turnout, some participants remained cautious following the incident.

Keep ReadingShow less