Here you will find some questions you might have about ‘Covid Made Long’. If you have any further questions please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at covidmadelong@lshtm.ac.uk.

What’s behind the title? 

The study is based around the idea of 'Covid Made Long' because we are interested in how Covid is impacting young people's lives over time, and is still affecting their presents and futures.

Long Covid is of particular interest because of how it alters young people’s lives at a time when they are making important life transitions. However, we are also interested in the ways covid affects young people’s health and wellbeing beyond Long Covid and lockdown. We are studying how Covid has changed care, welfare, and state infrastructures around communities, and the futures that now seem possible or not for young people aged 15-25.

Why 'covid' rather than 'COVID'? 

We deliberately chose the lowercase ‘covid’ to symbolise a departure from the traditional way of presenting the term. Firstly, we want to recognise that covid is an intense topic for many people to speak about, and we hope that making it lowercase feels less intense (like shouting), and makes the project feel more approachable.

But there is also another reason for the shift. This unconventional styling is intended to de-emphasise the way 'COVID' (and 'long COVID') is only seen as legitimate through clinical diagnosis and medical hierarchy. Rather, we want to create an atmosphere that encourages open dialogue and recognition of the diverse experiences people have had during this challenging period, which we are calling ‘covid made long’. This subtle linguistic shift reflects our commitment to inclusivity, acknowledging the varied ways individuals and communities have been impacted by the ongoing global health situation.

Who and what is involved?  

In partnership with young people themselves, we are interviewing 80 people (ages 15-25) and people in their social networks. We will follow up with some young people 6-9 months later to hear how their stories have developed. We aim to learn from young people who are experiencing different forms of precarity. We will combine interviews with creative participatory methods, involving young people throughout. 

This project is delivered in partnership with community organisations, including Long Covid Kids and Long Covid Support, as well as creative partner PositiveNegatives. The research aims to produce materials for use in peer-based and social support interventions as well as for use in training, advocacy, and policy.

Why now?

The UK has adopted a "living with" Covid-19 approach, but Long Covid and the long-term effects of Covid are growing concerns, making futures feel more uncertain. We need to understand how young people cope with the long-term and prolonged effects of Covid, shaped by social and economic challenges.

Our project examines covid not only as an illness (Long Covid), but also as a something that has lasting social and material impacts and is entangled with broader social and everyday life.

Our project, guided by young people, will create resources for training, advocacy, and social support. We aim to enhance how community organisations assist young people living with illness in uncertain conditions.

Why precarity? 

The pandemic has revealed how illness magnifies existing social and economic inequalities and equally how inequalities can magnify illness.

Our focus on ‘precarity’ means we are interested in how people’s lives are made more uncertain or less stable, when the right resources and types of support aren’t available. We are interested in how Covid has affected the types of support available and what times, places, or life events now feel safe or precarious.

We are aware that some people’s situations are more precarious than others because of material and social inequalities. We are interested in how Covid has affected different people’s experiences of different types of inequality, and see inequality as something intersectional – where people have different mixtures of inequality and privilege. In particular, we want to hear how young people think about, define, understand, and cope with inequalities and precarious lives, and how they have been affected by Covid. 

Who funds the research? 

This project is funded by the National Institutes for Health and Care Research (NIHR) with the study reference number 135315. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NIHR.

Who has granted ethical approval for the research? 

This project has been approved by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine’s Observational Research Ethics Committee, with the reference number 28634.

How do I get involved with this research?

There are different ways for young people aged 15-25 to get involved. One way is to participate in an interview. All interviews are anonymised and participants will be given a £20 voucher to say thank you. If you are interested, you can contact covidmadelong@lshtm.ac.uk for more information. Young people can also get involved by participating in an advisory consultation or creative workshop. Again, if you are interested, let us know. 

What is covered in an interview?

The interview will take approximately one hour. We ask young people about their life experiences over the last few years, what Covid means to them, and how Covid has affected their experiences of inequality, support networks, and feelings about the future. 

How are young people involved in shaping this research?

We are committed to involving young people in the design and implementation of our project. We regularly conduct consultations and workshops to give young people roles in shaping the research.

So far, young people have supported us to:

• Develop the topics to cover during interviews
• Think about providing different ways for young people to share their stories

We are developing a team of peer researchers who will help us co-produce the research project.