Post-Covid conditions is a reality plaguing many across the world. At least 65 million individuals worldwide are estimated to have long COVID, with cases increasing daily, says a study by Hannah E Davis and others, the findings of which were published in nature reviews microbiology last year. “Long COVID (sometimes referred to as ‘post-acute sequelae of COVID-19’) is a multisystemic condition comprising often severe symptoms that follow a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection,” it said.According to a recent study by Queensland Health researchers, long COVID appears to manifest as a post-viral syndrome indistinguishable from seasonal influenza and other respiratory illnesses, with no evidence of increased moderate-to-severe functional limitations a year after infection.The research, by authors including Queensland’s Chief Health Officer, is being presented at this year’s European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID 2024) in Barcelona, Spain (April 27-30).The study suggests that in the highly vaccinated population of Queensland exposed to the Omicron variant, long COVID’s impact on the health system is likely to stem from the sheer number of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 within a short period of time, rather than the severity of long COVID symptoms or functional impairment.The findings add to previous research by the same authors and published in BMJ Public Health which found no difference in ongoing symptoms and functional impairment when COVID-19 was compared with influenza,12 weeks post infection.Rates of long COVID in Australia are low due to high vaccination rates upon easing of COVID restrictions and the population’s subsequent exposure to the Omicron variant. Symptoms reported with the illness include fatigue, brain fog, cough, shortness of breath, change to smell and taste, dizziness, and rapid or irregular heartbeat.
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