Professor Richard Morriss (Lead)

Some patients hospitalised with COVID-19 have developed a post-COVID-19 syndrome. Nobody at this stage knows whether these post-COVID-19 symptoms are self-limiting, but there are people now with these problems for 3-4 months that are not improving and substantially interfering with everyday life including occupation. So far, much of COVID-19 research has focused on physical recovery and understanding the impact of the virus and pandemic on mental health.  However, patients’ concerns are often focussed on how to return to an adequate level of function including return to work if they are of working age.

In this case control study, comparing COVID-19 survivors, people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and ‘healthy’ control, we will ascertain the physical, mental, attributional and vocational factors that are barriers or enablers to returning to people’s normal life and occupational/vocational activities, and their similarities and differences to recovery from MS, another inflammatory condition. We will also explore how these factors interact together and may be amenable to digitally delivered vocational rehabilitation delivered through occupational therapy and mental health.

This study will begin recruiting in December.