WHO appeal on Long Covid: “Immediate action for anyone experiencing this prolonged suffering”

O long covid is devastating the lives of millions of people around the world, as well as health and economic systems, so action is needed “immediate” to face this crisis.

This was stated by the Director-General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, in an article published by him for the English newspaper The Guardian.

The world has never been closer to ending the pandemic COVID-19, but it’s also “very clear” that many of those infected by the virus, which first emerged in China in late 2019, are still experiencing what Ghebreyesus called “theextended offer”.

Covid has killed nearly 6.5 million people worldwide and infected more than 600 million. The WHO estimates that 10% to 20% of cured stayed with symptoms medium and long term, including fatigue, wheezing and cognitive dysfunction. 17 million in Europe alone.

And the sheer number of people affected by the long tail of the pandemic, about which little is known yet, is having a dangerous impact also on health systems and economies.

“Although the management of the pandemic has changed dramatically thanks to the vaccines and monoclonal, and we see the light at the end of the tunnel, the impact of Long Covid for all countries is very serious and needs immediate and sustained action equivalent to its extent”, he specified. For this, countries must now “invest seriously ” both of us Search than inaccess to care for those affected if they want to “minimize the suffering” of their populations and protect health systems and the workforce, “by supporting the physical and mental health of patients, as well as providing financial support to those who cannot work”.

According to Ghebreyesus, “The world has already lost a significant number of its workforce to illness, death, fatigue, unplanned retirement due to increased long-term disability, which not only affects the healthcare system, but is a blow to the economy.” generally ” .