key: cord-0921199-llb7nod2 authors: Norton, Alice; Olliaro, Piero; Sigfrid, Louise; Carson, Gail; Paparella, Giuseppe; Hastie, Claire; Kaushic, Charu; Boily-Larouche, Geneviève; Suett, Jake C; O'Hara, Margaret title: Long COVID: tackling a multifaceted condition requires a multidisciplinary approach date: 2021-02-03 journal: Lancet Infect Dis DOI: 10.1016/s1473-3099(21)00043-8 sha: 56089dd455c48e240cc2b49949ef7d9cbc96c49c doc_id: 921199 cord_uid: llb7nod2 nan including the recently funded research portfolio on long COVID that will contribute to the evidence body in the short to mid-term 4 and updates from ongoing research from around the world. A complex, multifaceted condition involving a range of physical, cognitive, and psychological symptoms was described, affecting adults and children in different settings, with occupational, economic, and social implications. Such complexity requires a multidisciplinary, globally coordinated approach that supports harmonised, large-scale studies that have the power to provide robust evidence to inform policy and patient-centred care and support to improve long COVID outcomes. The structure of the forum facilitated the identification of research gaps (appendix p 3). The core message was the need to expand research beyond hospitalised patients to include those who experienced COVID-19 in the Long COVID: tackling a multifaceted condition requires a multidisciplinary approach In their Comment, 1 Dana Yelin and colleagues highlight the persistent, heterogeneous, and recurring symptoms of long COVID. A Lancet Editorial 2 asks for better research and care to avoid years of struggle for individuals with long COVID. We write following an international, multistakeholder forum, in which peoples' voices were central, to expand the call to action and to identify how we can prevent long COVID from becoming the long-lasting legacy of COVID-19. On Dec 9-10, 2020, the International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infection Consortium (ISARIC), the Global Research Collaboration for Infectious Disease Preparedness (GloPID-R) research funders group, and Long COVID Support, a global patient group, held the Long COVID Forum (appendix pp 1-2). We brought together people living with long COVID, interdisciplinary researchers, funders, public health experts, and policy makers, including WHO, in a global public forum to identify research gaps to inform urgent long COVID research and support priorities. Our discussions, introduced by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, were built community, children, vulnerable commu nities, and resource-constrained populations to improve equity in access to research and reduce health inequalities. CH is living with long COVID and is a founder of the Long Covid Support Group. JCS reports experiencing persisting symptoms of COVID-19, following suspected COVID-19 in March, 2020. All other authors declare no competing interests. Long-term consequences of COVID-19: research needs Characterising long-term COVID-19: a rapid living systematic review COVID-19 research project tracker by UKCDR & GloPID-R See Online for appendix Lancet Infect Dis This online publication has been corrected. The corrected version first appeared at thelancet. com/infection on February 16, 2021