Published by Penguin, October 2022

Review by Viola von Harrach

At last, a book that demystifies, that dispels the myths, offers practical advice and gives in-depth scientific research information about Long Covid. The Long Covid Handbook is written by Gez Medinger, an investigative science journalist, patient advocate. He is known to many with Long Covid for his films about Covid on YouTube, and is himself a Covid long hauler. Co-author Professor Danny Altmann is Professor of Immunology at Imperial College, with special interest in the immunology of infectious diseases, including bacterial infection. 

The handbook is aimed at a broad spectrum readership, from Long Covid sufferers to carers and medical practitioners. In other hands this could be problematic as there is just so much information. But the format of the book is a conversation between the two authors which makes it all the easier to read. As a world leading and highly respected immunologist Altman explains much of the background science and where research is leading. For those who might be concerned about scientific terminology, Medinger is all too aware that this might be a stumbling block, so he unpicks this in layman’s terms. 

The aim is to share the current and ongoing medical research knowledge with sound anecdotal evidence. This data has been garnered from Medinger’s personal experience and surveys in the Long Covid community. The juxtaposition of this approach, scientific research and personal experience, works really well. Discussion forms the base line, research data is explained and made accessible, and many of those quoted have a medical background and are long Covid sufferers. As one might expect, the two authors agree to differ on certain points! 

The book is divided into 13 chapters, each of which tackles a particular question and many of the difficult and more emotive issues related to Long Covid are addressed. In at the deep end, what is Long Covid? It cannot be categorised and yet as the book explains, ‘it is an illness unlike any other you have had.’ The book also surmises that the cause of long Covid is ‘unlikely to be a single factor.’ This is not a comfortable read. There is a long chapter about mental health issues and the fact that Covid long haulers almost universally have feelings of denial, anger, frustration, sadness, loss and depression. Other chapters include how to help others help you, tips for managing symptoms, treatment, alternative and mainstream, what to expect from recovery, and next steps.

One of the major problems for Covid long haulers, and for medical practitioners treating Long Covid, is the plethora of information and misinformation around the illness. This is particularly the case with diagnosis, medication and so-called cures. So it is of major importance that the two authors have compiled what is currently known about the illness in one publication.

Many people assume that the time of Covid is over. It is no longer headline news, most people are not wearing masks and testing is no longer required. Yet it is important to remember there are lots of Covid long haulers out there, and indeed in our community, who are in a third year of changed horizons and continued ill-health. Indeed, in the UK alone there are an estimated 1.3 million long  Covid sufferers.

This immensely readable and practical book brings together all that is known at this moment in time about the illness. It is a must for all Covid long haulers, and hopefully medical practitioners including GPs will find time to read it or at least use it for reference. Perhaps, also, Medinger and Altman will consider a follow-up publication in the not too distant future, when there are further scientific results, and perhaps even the possibly of a breakthrough in the findings for Long Covid.