1.2 Give people who have had suspected or confirmed acute COVID‑19 (and their families or carers, as appropriate) advice and written information on:
- the most common new or ongoing symptoms after acute COVID‑19 (see the section on common symptoms).
- what they might expect during their recovery, including that:
- recovery time is different for everyone but for most people symptoms will resolve by 12 weeks
- the likelihood of developing ongoing symptomatic COVID-19 or post-COVID-19 syndrome is not considered to be linked to the severity of their acute COVID‑19 (including whether they were in hospital)
- if new or ongoing symptoms occur they can fluctuate, affecting them in different ways at different times.
- how to self-manage ongoing symptomatic COVID‑19 or post‑COVID‑19 syndrome (see the recommendations on self-management and supported self-management).
- who to contact if they are worried about new, ongoing or worsening symptoms, or if they are struggling to return to education, work or other usual activities, especially if it is more than 4 weeks after the start of acute COVID‑19.
1.3 Give people information on COVID-19 vaccines (see NHS information on COVID-19 vaccines):
- Encourage them to follow current government guidance for vaccination but explain that it is not known if vaccines have any effect on ongoing symptomatic COVID-19 or post-COVID-19 syndrome.
1.4 Provide all information in accessible and age-appropriate formats so that people can understand and take part in decisions about their care.
- Follow relevant national guidance on communication, providing information (including different formats and languages) and shared decision making, for example:
- NICE, RCGP and SIGN's patient booklet on Long COVID provides accessible information for people who have had acute COVID-19 and have ongoing signs and symptoms.