The Body Mapping Toolkit is a practical guide to help people with Long Covid visually express their experiences through an arts-based method. Body mapping involves drawing, writing, and collaging on a life-sized (or smaller) body outline in response to guided prompts. It can be a powerful way to communicate symptoms, emotions, and the overall impact of Long Covid—especially for those who find it hard to put experiences into words.
The toolkit:
Explains body mapping as both a community engagement tool and a qualitative research method used in health, social science, and art therapy.
Provides step-by-step instructions on preparing for a body mapping session, including gathering materials, creating an outline, and ensuring a safe, supportive environment.
Offers prompts to explore life before Long Covid, current symptoms, emotional impact, sources of support, and ways to improve quality of life.
Encourages self-paced work—sessions can take an hour or be spread over days/weeks, with breaks to avoid overexertion.
Includes wellbeing tips such as mindfulness and creative warm-up exercises, and guidance for emotional closure after the activity.
Contains links to Long Covid support organisations in the UK and examples of body maps from other participants.
A video of a webinar discussing the use of the body mapping tool can be accessed by clicking here.
The resource was developed by Long Covid Support and University of Oxford researchers, with input from people living with Long Covid. It aims to help individuals better understand, reflect on, and share their lived experiences with others—whether family, friends, or healthcare professionals.
Durham County Department of Public Health have produced a great video demonstrating that covid and many other viruses are airborne. The video is less than two minutes long. An airborne virus is a virus that can infect other people through particles in the air, sometimes for hours after the sick person has left the area! […]
This narrative review shows that POTS, ME/CFS and Long COVID are closely related conditions that share common biological mechanisms. The authors explain that problems with the autonomic nervous system, immune dysregulation and autoimmunity, mitochondrial dysfunction, reduced blood flow to the brain, and neuroinflammation all play a role. POTS and ME/CFS are identified as the most […]
Summary: Comparing Long Covid symptoms between patients that received COVID-19 vaccinations and those that did not. Study by Pasculli et. al., (2025) summarised by Amanda Harrington-Vail Introduction Since the COVID-19 pandemic was officially declared, almost 780 million cases and nearly 7 million deaths have been reported worldwide. Although COVID-19 vaccination has reduced the risk of […]
