By Kate Kelland
LONDON, Feb. 24 (Reuters) – Thousands of COVID-19 patients continue to suffer with severe, debilitating and persistent symptoms many months after their initial infection, with dire social, health and economic consequences, European health experts said Thursday.
Experts published a World Health Organization-led advisory report on the condition, often referred to as “long COVID” or “post-COVID syndrome,” and said that about one in 10 COVID-19 patients was still unwell 12 weeks after their acute infection. and many suffer from symptoms for much longer.
“This is a condition that can be extremely debilitating. Those who suffer from it describe a varying 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 COVID could have “serious social, economic, health and occupational consequences” for a long time.
“The burden is real and it is significant,” he said.
He urged health authorities to listen to patients’ concerns, take them seriously, and establish services to help them.
Growing evidence from around the world indicates that many thousands of people have a longstanding COVID experience. The condition does not appear to be related to whether a patient had a severe or mild infection.
An initial report from the UK’s National Institute for Health Research last year suggested that COVID may not be one condition, but multiple syndromes that cause a rollercoaster of symptoms that affect the body and mind.
Kluge noted that, as with any new disease, much is still unknown about COVID-19.
“We need to listen and… understand. Post-COVID disease sufferers 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 any health authority.” (Additional reporting by Stephanie Nerving in Geneva. Editing by Nick Macfie)
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