The Hidden Pandemic: A Qualitative Study on How Middle-Aged Women Make Sense Of Managing Their Long Covid Symptoms

Long covid is a challenging and debilitating health condition because of its remitting and relapsing nature and a person living with long covid can feel like they are getting better and recovering only to relapse again. The aim of the research was to explore how non hospitalised middle-aged women who contracted covid in the first wave of the pandemic, from March 2020, are managing their long covid symptoms. A Qualitative research study with an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis approach was utilised to explore how the women made sense of managing their condition and health seek behaviours. Participants were recruited from long covid Facebook groups and semi-structured Interviews were conducted remotely by Teams audio which were digitally recorded and transcribed by hand with prior informed consent. 9 women were interviewed and four themes and 8 sub themes emerged from the data. The four emerging themes were: Inequality and inconsistent medical treatment; Uncertainty and ambiguity of managing long covid symptoms; Managing other people’s expectations and perceptions of long covid and The changing identity. Overall, these results indicated a general mistrust in health care services to provide adequate support and individualised treatment plans leading women to self-advocacy and to seek alternative support and treatment. This article raised important questions about the nature of how women are still being unfairly treated when seeking medical attention.