Report says long COVID could impact economy and be 'mass disabling event' in Canada
CTV
A report released Thursday by Canada's chief science adviser says she considers COVID-19 the 'head' of the pandemic but long COVID its 'tail' as the illness inflicts significant harm on individuals, their families and potentially the country's economy.
A report released Thursday by Canada's chief science adviser says she considers COVID-19 the "head" of the pandemic but long COVID its "tail" as the illness inflicts significant harm on individuals, their families and potentially the country's economy.
Dr. Mona Nemer said about 10 to 20 per cent of people with COVID-19 develop long COVID after they have recovered from infection and struggle with a variety of symptoms ranging from high blood pressure and an irregular heartbeat to medically undefined symptoms such as chronic fatigue, brain fog, muscle pain and blurred vision.
"Some patients have not recovered two to three years after the initial infection and it is uncertain whether a proportion may ever fully recover," Nemer said of the condition that lacks consensus on a clear definition and diagnostic criteria, affecting claims for social assistance, disability supports and insurance by those who can no longer work.
"Future socio-economic implications for Canada may be far-reaching and require planning and monitoring," she said about the wider fallout of long COVID, also known as post COVID-19 condition or PCC.
"Analysis of the socio-economic impact of PCC from other countries, including the United Kingdom and the United States, indicates significant impacts on the labour market and the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), in addition to health costs and demands."
Canada could face a "mass disabling event" because it's increasingly clear that COVID-19 raises the risk of several chronic diseases including diabetes and hypertension, Nemer said, adding the number of people afflicted with long COVID may be greater than expected due to the lack of established diagnostic criteria.
Statistics Canada said late last year that about 15 per cent of adults in the country reported some long COVID symptoms at least three months after a positive COVID-19 test, amounting to 1.4 million people.
