About 72 percent of New Zealand (NZ) Long COVID sufferers work despite having the same life quality as severe cancer and multiple sclerosis patients—new research reveals—prompting calls for the Ministry of Health to offer more support,
After examining patients with remaining or developing COVID-19 symptoms, NZ’s Long COVID Registry released the results of its study on Nov. 1, in collaboration with Long COVID Support Aotearoa, the University of Auckland, and funding from the Ministry of Health.
The study measured Long COVID sufferers’ health and wellbeing using the EQ-5D questionnaire.
Research lead Dr. Paula Lorgelly said the mean score for participants before contracting COVID-19 was reasonably standard for New Zealanders (0.88).
However, “Now, with Long COVID, they’re reporting a mean score of 0.529. And that is similar to people who have severe cancer and severe MS.”
Further, the interim results found sufferers reported a high level of fatigue, brain fog, concentration loss, sleep disturbance, and sleep issues.
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A significant amount of the sample could no longer manage a 40-hour working week, experienced a 50 percent reduction in work hours, and 45 percent said their incomes declined as a result.
Meanwhile, 34 percent reported using sick leave, and 65 percent took time off.
Calls for Health Services to Step Up
Subsequently, Dr. Lorgelly said the country’s primary health services should acknowledge chronic Long COVID and provide help to patients.She said the Ministry of Health should be involved due to the economic impact.
In fact, Long COVID advocate Jenene Crossan said policies for government payments to patients needed to be changed, adding, “There’s no consistency in how that’s working at the moment.”
“I'd want the Minister of Health to acknowledge it [Long COVID] exists, admit it needs to be considered, and look at the research,” Ms. Crossan said.
However, she was worried Long COVID could be treated like a “political football, and people would not get the support they needed.”
“The reality is, if this is the trajectory that we’re on, which it feels like we are, we’re going to end up with an enormous percentage of our population at some degree of suffering from Long Covid at any one time,” she said.
COVID-19 Could Trigger Other Conditions
A study from the University of Auckland revealed Long COVID can also result in heart and Parkinson’s disease. This research is expected to assist health practitioners and researchers in developing Long COVID therapies.Liggins Institute doctoral student Rachel Jaros led the university’s researchers in examining genetic data from 8,500 people hospitalised with COVID-19. They then mapped their biological pathways, linking the risk of severe COVID-19 infection with that of health issues.
Mr. O’Sullivan said new genetic risk factors from severe or fatal COVID-19 infections, like Parkinson’s, were greatly concerning.
“We know Parkinson’s went up dramatically in the years following the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic,” he said.
