The Long Covid Silent Pandemic : One in 10 people will end up with long COVID, new study says (that makes at least 65 million people)


This is a republication of the article “‘We’re all vulnerable’: One in 10 people will end up with long COVID, new study says”, with the title above. The article is followed by an abstract of the original paper.


health transformation institute

pandemic response transformation unit

Joaquim Cardoso MSc
January 17, 2023


SOURCE: 


A patient is treated by Dr Stephan Faux and Dr Morgan Hee at a long COVID unit in St Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney. CREDIT:LOUISE KENNERLEY

‘We’re all vulnerable’: One in 10 people will end up with long COVID, new study says


The Age (Australia)
Ashleigh McMillan
January 16, 2023


Health experts are calling for a rethink of Australia’s COVID-19 approach after a new study showed one in 10 people will end up with “long COVID”.


According to the report, published on Friday in the academic journal Nature Reviews Microbiology, at least 65 million people worldwide already have long COVID, or post-COVID conditions, which is when symptoms persist for more than 12 weeks after the initial infection.


It is estimated more than 10 per cent of those who catch COVID-19 will experience chronic health issues, with women aged between 30 and 55 particularly at risk.


It is estimated more than 10 per cent of those who catch COVID-19 will experience chronic health issues, with women aged between 30 and 55 particularly at risk.


Long COVID’s symptoms vary but can include severe fatigue, brain impairment and nervous system dysfunction, as well as nausea and shortness of breath.


Professor Brendan Crabb, an infectious disease researcher and CEO of the Burnet Institute, said the report was “jaw-dropping” and should prompt a rethink of Australia’s relaxed attitude towards COVID-19.


Each time a person is reinfected with the virus, they have the same likelihood of catching long COVID, he said.


the report was “jaw-dropping” and should prompt a rethink of Australia’s relaxed attitude towards COVID-19.

Each time a person is reinfected with the virus, they have the same likelihood of catching long COVID, he said.


An analysis by the US Department of Veterans Affairs of 150,000 people showed they had an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart failure and stroke just one year after catching COVID-19, regardless of how severe the initial infection was.


An analysis by the US Department of Veterans Affairs of 150,000 people showed they had an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart failure and stroke just one year after catching COVID-19, regardless of how severe the initial infection was.


“Our clear national policy is to protect the aged, protect those who are immunocompromised, but in the rest of us, allow transmission to go pretty much unchecked,” Crabb said.

“But if you factor in long COVID, then we’re all vulnerable.”


Crabb said Australia’s political leaders needed to “change the narrative” around the risks of COVID-19, alongside a further push for booster vaccination, mask-wearing and filtered air.


Crabb said Australia’s political leaders needed to “change the narrative” around the risks of COVID-19, alongside a further push for booster vaccination, mask-wearing and filtered air.

Burnet Institute chief executive officer Brendan Crabb.

The report’s researchers believe there are significant similarities between long COVID and some chronic health conditions, such as myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and dysautonomia, a disorder of the autonomic nervous system.


The report’s researchers believe there are significant similarities between long COVID and some chronic health conditions, such as myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and dysautonomia, a disorder of the autonomic nervous system.


Around half of the people living with long COVID meet the criteria for ME/CFS, the report says.


Three of the report’s authors — Hannah Davis, Lisa McCorkell and Julia Moore Vogel — have experienced long COVID themselves. Their co-author is American cardiologist Eric Topol.

“We need a comprehensive long COVID research agenda that builds on the existing knowledge from ME/CFS, dysautonomia and other viral-onset conditions,” the authors said.


“We need a comprehensive long COVID research agenda that builds on the existing knowledge from ME/CFS, dysautonomia and other viral-onset conditions,” the authors said.


“ Robust clinical trials must be a priority moving forward as patients currently have few treatment options.”


“ Robust clinical trials must be a priority moving forward as patients currently have few treatment options.”


Victoria’s chief health officer, Brett Sutton, called the research “incredibly important” and hoped the review would raise awareness and progress research into chronic conditions such as ME/CFS and postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS).


Crabb said doctors should believe patients who present with long COVID because “the accuracy with which somebody self-reports is tremendous”.

“Long COVID is not some vague mysterious thing that you can palm off as psychosomatic, though many do. It is a very clear clinical illness with a biochemical and cellular underpinning,” he said.


Another key finding of the report is that those with long COVID often have “exhausted” or reduced levels of T cells, white blood cells involved in the immune response that target antigens.


Another key finding of the report is that those with long COVID often have “exhausted” or reduced levels of T cells, white blood cells involved in the immune response that target antigens.


Professor Stephen Duckett, an honorary enterprise professor at Melbourne University’s School of Population and Global Health, welcomed the first thorough review of long COVID research.


He said it was vital that the upcoming Australian Centre for Disease Control has a major focus on chronic conditions stemming from infection, such as long COVID and ME/CFS.


Duckett’s daughter developed long COVID in late 2020, and he said that throughout 2021, he was surprised there was little discussion about how long COVID could affect the health system.

“One of the consequences of the most recent pandemic is this mushrooming and dramatic escalation in the incidence of chronic complex conditions, which we really need to be getting our act together on,” Duckett said.


“One of the implications [of long COVID] is that predictions of demand, planning for health services of the future may need to look quite different from the way we thought.”


“One of the implications [of long COVID] is that predictions of demand, planning for health services of the future may need to look quite different from the way we thought.”


A federal parliamentary inquiry into long COVID and repeated COVID infections closed its submissions in November 2022.


Originally published at https://www.theage.com.au on January 15, 2023.






REFERENCE PUBLICATION







https://www.nature.com/articles/s41579-022-00846-2#citeas

Cite this article

Davis, H.E., McCorkell, L., Vogel, J.M. et al. Long COVID: major findings, mechanisms and recommendations. Nat Rev Microbiol (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41579-022-00846-2


nature reviews microbiology
Hannah E. Davis, Lisa McCorkell, Julia Moore Vogel & Eric J. Topol
January 13, 2023


Abstract


  • Long COVID is an often debilitating illness that occurs in at least 10% of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections. 

  • More than 200 symptoms have been identified with impacts on multiple organ systems. 

  • At least 65 million individuals worldwide are estimated to have long COVID, with cases increasing daily. 

  • Biomedical research has made substantial progress in identifying various pathophysiological changes and risk factors and in characterizing the illness; …
  • further, similarities with other viral-onset illnesses such as myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome have laid the groundwork for research in the field.

  • In this Review, the authors explore the current literature and highlight key findings, the overlap with other conditions, the variable onset of symptoms, long COVID in children and the impact of vaccinations. 

  • Although these key findings are critical to understanding long COVID, current diagnostic and treatment options are insufficient, and clinical trials must be prioritized that address leading hypotheses. 

  • Additionally, to strengthen long COVID research, future studies must account for biases and SARS-CoV-2 testing issues, build on viral-onset research, be inclusive of marginalized populations and meaningfully engage patients throughout the research process.

At least 65 million individuals worldwide are estimated to have long COVID, with cases increasing daily.


Biomedical research has made substantial progress in identifying various pathophysiological changes and risk factors and in characterizing the illness; … 

further, similarities with other viral-onset illnesses such as myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome have laid the groundwork for research in the field.


INFOGRAPHIC


Fig. 1: Long COVID symptoms and the impacts on numerous organs with differing pathology.


Fig. 1: Long COVID symptoms and the impacts on numerous organs with differing pathology.

Fig. 2: SARS-CoV-2 infection, COVID-19 and long COVID increases the risk of several medical conditions.



Fig. 3: Hypothesized mechanisms of long COVID pathogenesis.



CONCLUSIONS


  • Long COVID is a multisystemic illness encompassing ME/CFS, dysautonomia, impacts on multiple organ systems, and vascular and clotting abnormalities. 

  • It has already debilitated millions of individuals worldwide, and that number is continuing to grow. 

  • On the basis of more than 2 years of research on long COVID and decades of research on conditions such as ME/CFS, a significant proportion of individuals with long COVID may have lifelong disabilities if no action is taken. 

  • Diagnostic and treatment options are currently insufficient, and many clinical trials are urgently needed to rigorously test treatments that address hypothesized underlying biological mechanisms, including viral persistence, neuroinflammation, excessive blood clotting and autoimmunity.

Diagnostic and treatment options are currently insufficient, and many clinical trials are urgently needed to rigorously test treatments that address hypothesized underlying biological mechanisms, including viral persistence, neuroinflammation, excessive blood clotting and autoimmunity.

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