'Long-COVID' may have severe impacts: WHO
European health experts say thousands of COVID-19 patients continue to suffer serious, debilitating, and lingering symptoms many months after their initial bout of infection, with major social, health, and economic consequences.
That's according to a World Health Organization-led guidance report on the condition often referred to as "long-COVID" or "post-COVID syndrome."
Hans Kluge is the WHO's European regional director:
"Today, we shed light on the fact that in some patients, the disability following SARS-CoV-2 infection, lingers on for months - with severe social, economic, health, and occupational consequences. The burden is real, and it is significant: about one in ten COVID-19 sufferers remain unwell after 12 weeks, and many for much longer."
An initial report by Britain's National Institute for Health Research last year suggested long-COVID may be not one condition, but multiple syndromes causing a rollercoaster of symptoms affecting the body and mind.
Kluge noted that as with any new disease, much remains unknown about COVID-19.
He urged health authorities to listen to patients' concerns, take them seriously, and establish services to help them.
