Persistent Complaints After COVID-19: Epidemiology, Pathophysiology, Prediction, and Communication, the CORona Follow Up (CORFU) Study

The CORFU study, funded by ZonMW, is a prospective, multiple, cohort study with a maximum follow-up of 24 months after COVID-19. Dutch COVID-19 patients from 7 existing prospective cohorts, aiming and designed to conduct COVID-19 research, will be included in this study.

The CORFU study has 5 aims, divided into 4 work packages (WPs):

1. To describe the nature, severity, pattern and duration of long COVID complaints up to a maximum of two years after infection and its relationship with quality of life (WP1);
2. To describe the rehabilitation and corresponding activities for the treatment and improvement of complaints and quality of life (WP1);
3. To describe the pathophysiological processes that cause long COVID complaints, and the role of vulnerability/resilience factors (WP2);
4. To develop a prediction model for the persistence of complaints, with distinction between patients with and without pre-existing morbidity (WP3);
5. To develop a patient platform prototype in which patients can digitally consult their answers and compare their answers with reference populations (WP4, in collaboration with the EuroQol foundation).

The 7 cohorts participating in the CORFU study are: POPCOrn, COVAS, ELVIS, MaastrICCht, DC&TC, CAPACITY-COVID, and Adelante cohort.

(Clinical) baseline and follow-up data has been collected in these cohorts and will be used/aggregated to investigate CORFU study aims. In addition, questionnaires will be send to the (former) patients of the existing cohorts and patients will be asked about several domains such as persisting complaints and quality of life, at several moments, depending on when the patients have experienced COVID-19. Within this study a patient platform prototype will be developed, together with the EuroQol foundation, to be able to inform patients about the individual situation and course of disease.