Experts are saying that countries with a higher coronavirus caseload, including India, need to prepare to deal with the long-term effects of the illness. This phenomenon is being termed as 'Long Covid'.
Long Covid is a multifaceted disease; it can affect multiple organ systems: Ziyad Al-Aly
Long Covid will cripple countries with phenomenal rates of infection: Dr Nisreen A Alwan
'Long Covid' is described as a condition where the effects continue for weeks or months beyond the initial illness
While the immediate impact of the second Covid-19 wave on the health system is clearly visible in terms of shortage of oxygen, ICU beds, over-stretched testing and treatment services, new studies suggest that another public health sector crisis associated with the long-term effects of the virus could be looming over our heads.
Although there is no clear definition of 'Long Covid' yet, it is described as a condition where the effects of Covid-19 continue for weeks or months beyond the initial illness. New studies show the lasting effect of 'Long Covid' on children as well as the elderly.
A recent peer reviewed study published in Nature analysed health records of 73,435 Covid patients in the US, who did not require hospitalization but still showed 60 per cent higher death risk, compared to the non-Covid group six months since the initial illness.
Those non-hospitalized Covid patients also had an increased need (20 per cent) for outpatient medical care post-infection.
"Long Covid is a multifaceted disease; it can affect multiple organ systems including respiratory, cardiovascular, nervous, mental health, metabolic, gastrointestinal, kidneys, and other organ systems," said Ziyad Al-Aly, chief of the research and development service at the VA St. Louis Health Care System and author of the study.
Persistent symptoms among children after leaving hospital
An additional recent report published by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that among 3,171 non-hospitalized Covid patients, 69 per cent had one or more outpatient visits over next six months and among those, "68 per cent had a visit for a new primary diagnosis".
In a separate study made available on pre-print servers, researchers interviewed the parents of 518 children who were admitted to Bashlyaeva Children's Municipal Clinical Hospital in Moscow. 24 per cent of the children reported persistent symptoms even seven to nine months after they left the hospital. Sensory problems, fatigue and sleep disturbance were the most common post-recovery symptoms.
Some of the children (8.4 per cent) reported more than one symptom. Earlier this year, another data published by the UK authorities suggested that 13 per cent of children under the age of 11 and about 15 per cent of children between the ages of 12 and 16 reported at least one symptom, five weeks after the Covid-19 infection.
Could result in another public health crisis: Experts
Experts are already warning that if left unattended, this could result in another public health crisis among the vulnerable population.
"World leaders should be horrified at the thought of #LongCovid that will cripple countries with phenomenal rates of infection, particularly those with struggling health services & no social security. Do they really think it'll be over after the massive wave of deaths? No it won't," Dr Nisreen A Alwan, Associate Professor in Public Health at the University of Southampton posted on Twitter.
Others advise that health systems need to prepare for a multidisciplinary and multi-care approach.
"Because Long Covid impacts so many different organ systems, it's not going to be the purview of infectious diseases doctors, it's not going to be just the lung doctors, it's going to require people with different specialization and different backgrounds of expertise," Andrew Chan, Professor in the Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health pointed out.
No clear data on 'Long Covid' symptoms in India
There is still no clear data to suggest how many people might be suffering from the 'Long Covid' symptoms in India in the near future, but initial numbers from the UK, which witnessed a similar strong second wave earlier this year, could give us an idea.
According to the UK's Office for National Statistics, at least 1.1 million people in the UK reported 'Long Covid' symptoms during Feb-March 2021. Given the high case counts in India, possible cases of 'Long Covid' in the future could well be beyond anybody's imagination.
The resurrection of the deadly second Covid-19 wave in India has been largely attributed to the ignorance exhibited by the policymakers and the general population; both stand accused of letting their guards down and failing to forestall the rise of the pandemic curve.
An early preparation of the country's health care system and affiliated industries with regard to the anticipated 'Long Covid' cases might go a long way. The pandemic has already delivered a hard lesson that no country is safe from its impact and the price for ignorance could be huge.
Experts are saying that countries with a higher coronavirus caseload, including India, need to prepare to deal with the long-term effects of the illness. This phenomenon is being termed as 'Long Covid'.
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