A significant new study published on Thursday, 7 May, in The Lancet Digital Health has provided robust clinical evidence that ENO Breathe significantly improves the quality of life for those living with long COVID. Developed by the English National Opera (ENO) in partnership with clinicians from Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, the award-winning online programme has been found to deliver measurable benefits for breathlessness, anxiety, and general respiratory symptoms.
The research, conducted by Imperial College London, analyzed outcomes from 1,438 participants across 51 NHS long COVID services. It represents one of the largest real-world evaluations of a creative health intervention to date. Key findings include:
Breathlessness: 61% of participants achieved clinically important improvements in their breathing.
Mental Wellbeing: 73% of participants reported a decrease in anxiety levels.
General Health: 87% of participants stated the programme had a positive impact on their overall wellbeing.
ENO Breathe is a free, six-week digital programme that uses singing techniques—specifically lullabies from around the world—to retrain the breath. Led by professional ENO vocal specialists, the sessions are designed to complement traditional clinical care. Janardhan Rao, an Orthopaedic Consultant and programme participant, described the experience as "transformational," noting that the mindful breathing exercises allowed him to speak in full sentences again and eventually return to work.
Since its launch in September 2020, the programme has supported over 4,829 participants. Following this clinical validation, the ENO plans to pilot an expanded version of the programme through 2026-27 in London and Greater Manchester. This next phase will focus on supporting individuals living with other chronic respiratory conditions, such as COPD and asthma. Currently, the programme remains open to national referrals from 85 partnered NHS Trusts for those experiencing post-viral breathlessness.
