By Kate Kelland
LONDON, February 24 (Reuters) – Thousands of patients with COVID-19 continue to suffer severe, debilitating and persistent symptoms many months after the initial attack of the infection, with major social, economic and health consequences, said European health experts at Thursday.
Publishing a guidance report led by the World Health Organization on the condition, often referred to as “COVID long” or “post-COVID syndrome”, experts said that about one in 10 patients with COVID-19 is still sick 12 weeks after acute infection, and many suffer the symptoms for much longer.
“This is a condition that can be extremely debilitating. Those who suffer from it describe a varied combination of overlapping symptoms … (including) chest and muscle pain, fatigue, shortness of breath … brain fog (and) many others, “said Martin McKee, a professor at the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies who led the report.
Hans Kluge, WHO’s European regional director, said that long-COVID could have “serious social, economic, health and occupational consequences”.
“The burden is real and significant,” he said.
He urged health officials to listen to patients’ concerns, take them seriously and establish services to help them.
Increasing evidence across the world points to many thousands of people experiencing long COVID. The condition does not appear to be related to the fact that the patient has a severe or mild infection.
An initial report by Britain’s National Institute for Health Research last year suggested that long COVID may not be a condition, but several syndromes that cause a roller coaster of symptoms that affect the body and mind.
Kluge noted that, as with any new disease, much remains unknown about COVID-19.
“We need to listen and … understand. People suffering from post-COVID diseases need to be heard if we are to understand the long-term consequences and recovery of COVID-19,” he said. “This is a clear priority for WHO (and) it should be for all health authorities.” (Additional reporting by Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva. Editing by Nick Macfie)
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