SynthesisPloS one2023
Living with "long COVID": A systematic review and meta-synthesis of qualitative evidence.
Synthesis in PloS one, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 67 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled 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.
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.
Who cites it
67 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 108 citations in OpenAlex.
- Prevalence and symptoms of Long Covid-19 in the workplace.Occupational medicine (Oxford, England) · 2025Pooled it
- Health-related quality of life in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Post COVID-19 Condition: a systematic review.Journal of translational medicine · 2025Pooled it
- Definitions and symptoms of the post-COVID syndrome: an updated systematic umbrella review.European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience · 2025Pooled it
- Patient-reported outcome measures for post-COVID-19 condition: a systematic review of instruments and measurement properties.BMJ open · 2024Pooled it
- Lived Experiences of Long COVID in Iranian Immigrants in Canada: Implications for Post-Infection Care and Global Health Equity.Iranian journal of medical sciences · 2026Article
- Contested illness and communication: Positioning long Covid in online discussion forums.Journal of health psychology · 2026Article
- "It's sad, and I want to go back to how things were before": a qualitative study of young people's experiences of living with long COVID.BMJ paediatrics open · 2026Article
- The next phase in Long COVID research: addressing the ethical challenges in trials of disease-modifying treatments.EClinicalMedicine · 2026Review
- Long COVID and Its Impact on Healthcare Worker's Job Performance: A Qualitative Study in Spain.Journal of occupational and environmental medicine · 2026Article
- Latent profile analysis of the symptoms for posttraumatic stress disorder and psychological resilience in Chinese adolescents experiencing post Covid-19: a quantetative study.BMC psychology · 2026Article
- How do people with post-COVID syndrome in Germany experience healthcare and information provision? A qualitative interview study.BMJ open · 2026Article
- A qualitative analysis of lived experiences, mental health treatment needs, and psychotherapeutic applications among veterans with long COVID.Psychological services · 2026Article
- The lived experience of long COVID: A thematic analysis of an in-depth interview study.PLOS mental health · 2026Article
- Long COVID in adults - a current review of the long-term health effects following SARS-CoV-2 infection.Journal of health monitoring · 2026Article
- Experiences of People With Long COVID Accessing Rehabilitation Services: A Qualitative Study.Occupational therapy international · 2026Article
- Article
- Long COVID symptoms and loneliness: findings from the World Trade Center Health Registry.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Illness Experiences of Veterans Reporting Long-Term Symptoms or Health Challenges from COVID-19: Results from the VA COVID-19 Observational Research Collaboratory.Journal of general internal medicine · 2025Article
- Perspectives of Individuals With Long COVID on Virtual Physical Rehabilitation: A Qualitative Study.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translation · 2025Article
- Patients' experiences of living with Long Covid and their beliefs about the role of psychology in their condition.Journal of health psychology · 2025Article
7 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
11 authors at 9 institutions in 4 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesLong-term health consequences of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), also known as "long COVID," has become a global health concern. In this systematic review, we aimed to synthesize the qualitative evidence on lived experiences of people living with long COVID that may inform health policymaking and practice.
methodsWe searched six major databases and additional sources and systematically retrieved relevant qualitative studies and conducted a meta-synthesis of key findings using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) guidelines and reporting standards of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) checklist.
resultsWe found 15 articles representing 12 studies out of 619 citations from different sources. These studies provided 133 findings that were categorized into 55 categories. All categories were aggregated to the following synthesized findings: living with complex physical health problems, psychosocial crises of long COVID, slow recovery and rehabilitation, digital resources and information management, changes in social support, and experiences with healthcare providers, services, and systems. Ten studies were from the UK, and others were from Denmark and Italy, which highlights a critical lack of evidence from other countries.
conclusionsMore representative research is needed to understand long COVID-related experiences from diverse communities and populations. The available evidence informs a high burden of biopsychosocial challenges among people with long COVID that would require multilevel interventions such as strengthening health and social policies and services, engaging patients and caregivers in making decisions and developing resources, and addressing health and socioeconomic disparities associated with long COVID through evidence-based practice.
Indexed as
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.