CARDIFF and the Vale University Hospital is encouraging people struggling with recovery from coronavirus to visit a new online rehabilitation course.

In light of post-Covid – or ‘Long Covid’ – syndrome being confirmed as a recognised condition, the health board's Keeping Me Well course will now feature information on guidance to help people experiencing the effects of the virus.

Long Covid is defined as “signs and symptoms that develop during or following an infection consistent with Covid-19, which continue for more than 12 weeks”, in guidelines that will be published by Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN), NICE and the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP).

The course includes advice about dealing with symptoms including lasting fatigue, breathlessness, ongoing pain and other common symptoms associated with the condition.

Visitors to the website can also access advice to support their physical and mental recovery, and videos demonstrating exercises and techniques that they can follow to support their recovery.

Dr Fiona Jenkins, Executive Director for Therapies and Health Sciences, said: “This formal recognition of post-Covid syndrome or ‘Long Covid’ reflects the growing numbers of people that we are seeing in the community who are struggling with ongoing symptoms after having the disease.

“Alongside working to establish a Long-Covid clinic in the coming weeks, the Keeping Me Well website is one of a number of ways that we are supporting these people, offering a raft of helpful information, advice and guidance that they can access at their own pace to support their rehabilitation and wellbeing.”

Dr Jenkins added: “This pandemic has been a tough period for everybody, and there are large numbers of people in the community who haven’t been unwell with Covid-19 who are struggling, as a result of factors including treatments being delayed, people avoiding healthcare settings, and difficulty with socialising and remaining active during lockdown.

“The Keeping Me Well website sets out to support all of those people who have been affected by this terrible disease, but I would urge anybody who is concerned about their health or feels that they aren’t coping to contact their healthcare specialist.

“We are continuing to develop the website with the intention of it becoming an important rehabilitation tool into the future, far beyond the end of the pandemic.”

To find out more visit the Keeping Me Well website.