Three Long Covid Trials Offer Hope as New Research Findings Emerge

The findings were highlighted by Dr Paul Sax, writing in the NEJM Voices blog, who described the outcomes of three separate randomised controlled trials — the gold standard for testing whether a treatment actually works. Two of those trials produced results that researchers consider encouraging for people living with long Covid, the condition where symptoms persist for weeks or months after the initial infection has cleared.

Long Covid affects a significant number of people across the UK. The NHS describes it as symptoms lasting more than 12 weeks that are not explained by another cause, and these can range from breathlessness and fatigue to brain fog and joint pain.

Randomised trials are designed to reduce bias by randomly assigning participants to either receive a treatment or a placebo, meaning the results carry more weight than observational studies. Two promising trials out of three is a meaningful signal — though researchers typically require replication before any treatment becomes standard care.

The NEJM has not yet released full detail of which specific treatments were tested, or the scale of the trials, beyond what Dr Sax summarises in the blog post. Readers are encouraged to follow NEJM Voices for the full write-up as further detail becomes available.

Anyone experiencing symptoms they believe may be linked to long Covid should speak to their GP in the first instance. NHS 111 is also available by phone or online for guidance on next steps.

Key information

• Long Covid symptoms lasting more than 12 weeks should be discussed with a GP
• NHS 111 is available 24 hours a day for health advice — call 111 or use the online service
• The NEJM Voices blog carries the full commentary from Dr Paul Sax on the three trials