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Long Covid ‘could become a bigger health problem than excess deaths’

Mandatory Credit: Photo by Alex Lentati/LNP/REX/Shutterstock (10823781c) Members of the public wear masks while out shopping in Westminster as more Covid lockdown restrictions come into force for the North East of England and Liverpool as cases of coronavirus continue to rise throughout the UK. Shoppers in Westminster wear masks while out shopping in London as more lockdown restrictions come into force in North East of England, London, UK - 01 Oct 2020
The symptoms of long Covid include breathlessness, chronic fatigue and brain fog months after falling ill with the virus (Picture: Alex Lentati/LNP/REX/Shutterstock)

Long Covid could turn out to be a bigger public health problem than excess deaths, an academic has warned.

People suffering with the condition have reported breathlessness, chronic fatigue and brain fog months after falling ill with the virus.

A study by King’s College London revealed that around 10% of coronavirus patients had symptoms of long Covid for a month.

As many as 2% were still experiencing symptoms after three months.

Researchers from the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change now want the Government to highlight the issue in awareness campaigns.

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The authors of the paper, titled Long Covid: Reviewing the Science and Assessing the Risk, say they believe awareness campaigns ‘would help drive compliance with containment measures such as the use of masks’.

In the report, Professor Tim Spector said that in the first few months of the pandemic, little attention was paid to the infected population who were not sick enough to go to hospital, who made up 99% of cases.

He said it turned out that Covid-19 was not just a bad flu, but in many people it behaved more like an autoimmune disease, affecting multiple systems in the body.

A man wearing a face mask stands next to a banner, amid the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Middleborough, Britain October 2, 2020. REUTERS/Lee Smith
A study found 10% of coronavirus patients had symptoms of long Covid for a month (Picture: Reuters)

Prof Spector said the app launched in March by King’s College London and the health-science company ZOE to capture the wider range of symptoms people were experiencing received data from more than four million people.

He said they learned that ‘a great many people didn’t get better after two weeks as expected’, adding: ‘We kept following them and found out that a significant number still had problems after months.

‘This is the other side of Covid: the long-haulers that could turn out to be a bigger public-health problem than excess deaths from Covid-19, which mainly affect the susceptible elderly.’

The authors said these appear to be the most reliable statistics on which to base a rough estimate of the scale of long Covid in the population, adding that while there is no clear evidence about prevalence in asymptomatic cases, it is likely to be lower than these percentages.

The report said long Covid seems rare in those under 18 and over 65, with higher prevalence among those of working age.

The median age of those affected is 45 and it affects women more than men.

‘As Professor Spector says, long Covid is likely a bigger issue than excess deaths as a result of Covid, but, crucially, the risk must be considered alongside the economic impact and other health impacts linked to Covid restrictions,’ the paper concluded.

Among their recommendations, the authors suggest further studies, awareness campaigns and mass testing to help with diagnosis.

Daniel Sleat, co-author of the report, said: ‘While long Covid poses a significant risk, it must be assessed alongside the wider impacts of Covid restrictions, both in economic and health terms, as governments determine their next steps on containment measures to avoid a full lockdown.’

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source https://metro.co.uk/2020/10/05/long-covid-could-become-a-bigger-health-problem-than-excess-deaths-13371510/

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