Almost everyone who suffers from long-term complaints after a corona infection experiences major consequences. A third of the 1741 people with long-term Covid (Long Covid) who participate in research by the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), say that they are unable to work because of the complaints. Almost half (46 percent) work less than usual.
The vast majority of people who suffer from corona complaints for a long time, have not been very ill in the first place. Only 5 percent have been hospitalized. For the remaining 95 percent, the disease in the acute phase was relatively mild. After that, however, they suffered a lot from complaints.
Impact is big
Fatigue is the most common, according to the first results of the ongoing study. 90 percent of the respondents with long-term Covid suffer from this. This is followed by concentration problems (74 percent) and shortness of breath (70 percent). Almost everyone calls the impact of long-term Covid great.
On average, the participants suffered from complaints for seven months. It is still unknown whether the Delta variant of the virus causes other long-term complaints than previous variants. The institute also does not yet know whether there are differences between adults and children.
Further research needed
RIVM does not dare to say to what extent the participants in the study are representative of all people who have long-term Covid complaints. “In order to properly investigate this, people must be followed from the moment they are infected with the corona virus.” Of the current participants, probably not many have been infected with the Delta variant. RIVM therefore asks adults and children who have recently tested positive to register for the study. This is intended to be done within seven days of the result.
Persistent complaints after corona are also called PASC. This term was coined by the American top epidemiologist Anthony Fauci and stands for ‘post-acute consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection’.
More attention for Long Covid
A group of Dutch patients recently asked the House of Representatives to pay more attention to their condition. They believe that the Netherlands is lagging behind in research into the causes and treatments of long-term Covid. The group advocates, among other things, the establishment of ‘accessible centers for research and treatment’. In the United States and the United Kingdom, according to them, it is better regulated. There are ‘comprehensive treatment guidelines’ and numerous specialized clinics.
Source: ANP
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