Long COVID and Health Inequalities: What's Next for Research and Policy Advocacy?

Introduction: Organised by the 'Qualitative Long Covid Network', a workshop for qualitative Long COVID (LC) researchers, LC charity representatives and people with LC took place in June 2023, where research on the intersectional inequalities affecting LC prevalence, recognition and care was shared and discussed.

Methods: Five key themes were drawn up from presentations, discussions and reflections during the workshop, which are presented in this study.

Results: The following five themes are discussed: the unfairness of LC, difficulties in accessing care, mistrust of the healthcare system, a lack of understanding of LC and experiences of stigma and discrimination.

Guidelines for Immediate Vs Delayed Dental Implant Placement in the Esthetic Zone.

The placement of immediate dental implants in the esthetic zone is a highly successful procedure, however it requires careful case selection. Depending on the structural integrity of the alveolar socket and the gingival level, either an implant can be placed immediately and provisionalized or its insertion may need to be delayed. If the extraction site is compromised, implant placement should be deferred to allow bone or soft-tissue grafting or a combination of both to facilitate esthetic implant placement.

"They seemed to be like cogs working in different directions": a longitudinal qualitative study on Long COVID healthcare services in the United Kingdom from a person-centred lens.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has presented significant challenges to the already over-stretched healthcare system in the United Kingdom (UK). These challenges are particularly pronounced for people living with the novel condition of Long COVID (LC) as they often face persistent and fluctuating symptoms, encountering prolonged uncertainty when seeking medical support. Despite a growing understanding of the healthcare challenges associated with LC, existing qualitative studies have predominantly focused on individual experiences rather than examining the structural aspects of healthcare.

'I am just a shadow of who I used to be'-Exploring existential loss of identity among people living with chronic conditions of Long COVID.

Identity loss and (re)construction forms a central debate in sociology of chronic illness. Living with chronic/persistent health conditions may raise questions about how disruptions can touch upon and further threaten the very roots of existence, by which people reflexively perceive a coherent and stable sense of 'being-in-the-world'. Whilst medical sociologists have shown interest in 'existential loss' in chronic illness, this question remains largely underexplored.