Symptoms of COVID-19 in primary care [COVID-19]
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Symptoms of COVID-19 in primary care: a cohort study using the THIN database
IRAS ID
287243
Contact name
Anoop Shah
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University College London Joint Research Office (part of Research Support Centre)
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Z6364106/2018/10/01, UCL data protection registration
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 6 months, 30 days
Research summary
Many thousands of people in the UK have been infected, hospitalised or died in the COVID-19 pandemic. The virus is interesting in the way that it can affect people so differently, and many patients are experiencing unusual symptoms long after ostensibly recovering from the acute illness. People with what is commonly called “long Covid” are attending their general practitioners, but long term effects of the virus (mental and physical) and the full range of presenting symptoms are still poorly understood. A better understanding of the manifestations, long term effects and complications of COVID-19 would help services to provide appropriate healthcare for these patients.
We will study the spectrum of symptoms of COVID-19 as recorded by general practitioners, both during the early illness and in the recovery phase. This will help to better understand COVID-19 and how it differs from other viral and respiratory illnesses. In order to study this information, we will use the clinical notes typed by general practitioners as well as the codes of diagnoses. This is because patient reported symptoms are often recorded in the notes rather than as coded information. We will compare general practice attendances and recorded symptoms between people who had an illness consistent with COVID-19, and those who did not.
We will also study how well information relevant to COVID-19 is recorded in general practice records. In the early phase of the pandemic, computer systems did not have specific codes to record information about COVID-19. New codes were made available, but we are not sure how well they have been used. By studying how much information is recorded as codes and text, we will be able to better understand how doctors record information in their computer systems, and will be better able to use these data to help improve health and care services. [Study relying on COPI notice]
REC name
North East - Tyne & Wear South Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
20/NE/0209
Date of REC Opinion
6 Oct 2020
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion