In 2023, it was estimated that at least 65 million individuals had Long Covid (LC). Yet the literature reveals a lack of knowledge on how individuals perceive and experience LC symptoms. This study aims to explore how individuals with Long Covid describe their symptoms across physical, cognitive, emotional, social, and behavioural dimensions, and to analyse these experiences through the lens of the Symptom Management Theory (SMT) using a phenomenological and netnographic approach to spontaneous patient narratives. A netnographic study was conducted on 63 selected participants in France from 19 April 2020 to 31 December 2022. Narratives were first analysed phenomenologically using TROPES software. Verbatims were then coded through content analysis with NVivo12Pro and organised according to the SMT dimensions of symptom experience. The study revealed that the testimonies of Long Covid patients are characterized by an argumentative, personal, and chronological discourse, highlighting the intensity of persistent symptoms and their significant impact on daily life. The most frequent symptoms identified include bodily pain, respiratory issues, chronic fatigue, as well as sensory and cognitive disturbances, along with significant emotional and social challenges. Our study demonstrates the profound and multidimensional impact of Long Covid on patients’ daily lives, highlighting the need for a holistic, integrated approach to its management, considering affective, cognitive, behavioural, physical, and social dimensions to improve patients’ quality of life. Understanding the lived experiences of LC patients can guide healthcare services in providing more targeted, empathetic, and effective support.

We are a group of 53 individuals with Long COVID from across the U.S. In 2023, we joined a Long COVID clinical trial for Vyvgart (efgartigimod), a drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FD...

Après la détection de deux premiers cas symptomatiques d’infection par le virus du Nil occidental identifiés fin juillet et début août en Seine-Saint-Denis, l’Établissement Français du Sang (EFS) a re...

When you have escaped certain death, and when you have witnessed death, especially preventable death, you want to tell everyone how important life is, how important love is.