Saves the questions and what to expect into your notes, next to the visit they belong to.
Keep this study
Lead
Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust
Age
18–any
Sex
ALL
Healthy volunteers
Not accepted
You may be eligible if
1. Able to give informed consent.
2. Male or female, age \> 18 years.
3. Female patients of childbearing age must confirm their intention not to fall pregnant during the study period of 6 weeks.
4. A clinical diagnosis of Long COVID a fatigue score of ≥ 5 on the C19-YRS First Assessment
5. A self-reported fatigue score on the C19-YRS ≥ 2 points more severe than their pre-COVID baseline
6. More than 12 weeks following a positive COVID-19 swab test (lateral flow or PCR) or an illness in keeping with COVID-19 infection in the opinion of the Chief Investigator, despite the absence of swab confirmation (not tested or test negative).
7. Where applicable, have completed any other therapeutic rehabilitation intervention for Long COVID-related fatigue.
8. Willing and able to attend for a course of 6 once per week acupuncture treatments
9. Co-existing reversible causes of fatigue and/or breathlessness medically optimized
10. If a patient has ongoing breathlessness a chest X-ray should have been performed
11. If on steroids should be on stable dose for at least two weeks at time of study entry
12. If taking other dietary/vitamin interventions should be on a stable regimen for at least two weeks at the time of study entry
13. If vaccinated should be a least two weeks post last vaccine dose or booster
14. Participants with a history of cancer must be on a stable dose of treatments such as oral TKIs, or antiestrogen therapies or be more than 2 years from diagnosis and completion of radical treatment
15. Where applicable, participants on aspirin, clopidogrel or oral anticoagulants are on a stable dose and discussed with the acupuncture clinician (Dr Jacqueline Filshie or a suitably qualified member of her team) before study entry.
You may not be if
1. Recent acupuncture in the last 4 weeks
2. Contraindication to acupuncture in the opinion of the acupuncture clinician (Dr Jacqueline Filshie or a suitably qualified member of her team).
3. Patients currently receiving chemotherapy or immunotherapy at regular intervals likely to induce cyclical fatigue or within the last 12 months.
4. Patients currently receiving radiotherapy or within the last 12 months
5. Pregnancy
6. Patients with heart valve pathology/dysfunction are contra-indicated from using semi-permanent acupuncture studs for maintenance
