Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34607799›Full record

ArticleThe British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners2021

Recommendations for the recognition, diagnosis, and management of long COVID: a Delphi study.

Martine Nurek, Clare Rayner, Anette Freyer, Sharon Taylor, Linn Järte, Nathalie MacDermott, Brendan C Delaney, Delphi panellists

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 82 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
82citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
13.5field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

82 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 147 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Trial
  5. Experiences of people with long COVID: Symptoms, support strategies and the Long COVID Optimal Health Programme (LC-OHP).Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2024
    Trial
  6. Trial
  7. Review
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Co-Creating Publicly Available Resources to Increase Awareness of and Support for Long Covid Among Ethnic Minority Communities.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2026
    Article
  11. Article
  12. Review
  13. Review
  14. Assessment and management of post-COVID-19 pulmonary complications: a rapid review.European respiratory review : an official journal of the European Respiratory Society · 2026
    Review
  15. Review
  16. A pain from the nose to the head: neurological commitment during long COVID.Inflammation research : official journal of the European Histamine Research Society ... [et al.] · 2025
    Review
  17. Article
  18. Treatments for Long COVID autonomic dysfunction: a scoping review.Clinical autonomic research : official journal of the Clinical Autonomic Research Society · 2025
    Article
  19. Article
  20. Article

22 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Martine NurekDepartment of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London.
Clare RaynerDepartment of Acute Medicine, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham.
Anette FreyerDepartment of Acute Medicine, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham.
Sharon TaylorCentral and North West London NHS Foundation Trust and honorary senior clinical lecturer, Imperial College School of Medicine, London.
Linn JärteAnaesthetics Department, Morriston Hospital, Swansea Bay University Health Board, Swansea.
Nathalie MacDermottKing's College London, St Thomas' Hospital, London.
Brendan C DelaneyDepartment of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London, and principal in general practice, Albion Street Group Practice, London.
Delphi panellists
Imperial College London · GBSt Thomas' Hospital · GB

Funding

British Heart Foundation FS/17/16/32560
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIn the absence of research into therapies and care pathways for long COVID, guidance based on 'emerging experience' is needed.

aimTo provide a rapid expert guide for GPs and long COVID clinical services. DESIGN AND

settingA Delphi study was conducted with a panel of primary and secondary care doctors.

methodRecommendations were generated relating to the investigation and management of long COVID. These were distributed online to a panel of UK doctors (any specialty) with an interest in, lived experience of, and/or experience treating long COVID. Over two rounds of Delphi testing, panellists indicated their agreement with each recommendation (using a five-point Likert scale) and provided comments. Recommendations eliciting a response of 'strongly agree', 'agree', or 'neither agree nor disagree' from 90% or more of responders were taken as showing consensus.

resultsThirty-three clinicians representing 14 specialties reached consensus on 35 recommendations. Chiefly, GPs should consider long COVID in the presence of a wide range of presenting features (not limited to fatigue and breathlessness) and exclude differential diagnoses where appropriate. Detailed history and examination with baseline investigations should be conducted in primary care. Indications for further investigation and specific therapies (for myocarditis, postural tachycardia syndrome, mast cell disorder) include hypoxia/desaturation, chest pain, palpitations, and histamine-related symptoms. Rehabilitation should be individualised, with careful activity pacing (to avoid relapse) and multidisciplinary support.

conclusionLong COVID clinics should operate as part of an integrated care system, with GPs playing a key role in the multidisciplinary team. Holistic care pathways, investigation of specific complications, management of potential symptom clusters, and tailored rehabilitation are needed.

Indexed as

COVID-19ConsensusDelphi TechniqueHumansPost-Acute COVID-19 Syndromeclinical guidelinesCOVID-19general practicelong COVIDlong-haulerpost-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC)post-COVID-19 condition

Identifiers

PMID34607799
PMCPMC8510689
OpenAlexW3187874626

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.