Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-general, has warned about the effects of long covid. He said the condition is “devastating” the lives and livelihoods of tens of millions of people, and wreaking havoc on health systems and economies, as he urged countries to launch “immediate” and “sustained” efforts to tackle the “very serious” crisis.
In a report, Dr Tedros said the world has never been in a better position to end the Covid-19 pandemic, but it is also “very clear” that many of those infected by the virus is still experiencing “prolonged suffering.” The WHO estimates that 10 to 20 per cent of survivors have been left with mid and long-term symptoms such as fatigue, breathlessness and cognitive dysfunction.
With the absence of evidence about how best to treat it, long Covid is turning people’s lives upside down, and many face “often lengthy” and “frustrating” waits for support or guidance, he said. Dr Tedros wrote, “While the pandemic has changed dramatically due to the introduction of many lifesaving tools, the impact of long Covid for all countries is very serious and needs immediate and sustained action equivalent to its scale.”
Countries must now “seriously ramp up” both research into the condition and access to care for those affected if they are to “minimise the suffering” of their populations and protect their health systems and work forces. “Early in the pandemic, it was important for overwhelmed health systems to focus all of their life-saving efforts on Covid-19 patients presenting with acute infection,” he said. “However, it is critical for governments to invest long-term in their health system and workers and make a plan now for dealing with long Covid.”
“This plan should encompass: providing immediate access to antivirals to patients at high risk of serious disease, investing in research and sharing new tools and knowledge as they’re identified to prevent, detect and treat patients more effectively. It also means supporting patients’ physical and mental health as well as providing financial support for those who are unable to work.”
