Consequences from Long COVID syndrome

Most people with Long COVID experience a loss of quality of life during the 15 months after becoming ill. The COVID-19 pandemic has been gradually put under control, but the long-lasting and heavy consequences still prevent people from returning to a normal pace of life, threatening to pull back against the economic recovery achievements.

COVID-19 causes “brain fog” syndrome after recovery. (Photo: Gettyimages)
COVID-19 causes “brain fog” syndrome after recovery. (Photo: Gettyimages)

A fast heartbeat every time she stands up, feeling constantly exhausted and having headaches are among the symptoms experienced by a high school girl in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, since she contracted COVID-19 in April last year. Sharing with the Asahi Shimbun, this student said, she felt frustrated and always wondered why these terrible symptoms were happening to her. Her poor health condition prevented her from working in school clubs.

This is also a common condition of many people with Long COVID Syndrome, seriously affecting their work and life. According to Dr. Koichi Hirahata in Tokyo, his patients had to rest for many days due to the long-term effects of Long COVID Syndrome, in which young people make up a significant number.

US scientists have studied cases of Long COVID Syndrome. The results showed that most of these patients experienced symptoms of brain fog, numbness of the limbs, headache, dizziness, blurred vision, tinnitus, and fatigue, on average 15 months after they got COVID-19. This is evidence that, with persistent sequelae for many organ systems of the human body, Long COVID Syndrome is a real threat to the global health hidden behind the pandemic. People with the disease may also have psychological problems, and fall into depression.

In the midst of economic sectors ready to welcome new "life flow" to speed up the recovery and development cycle, many countries are facing the risk of labour shortage. According to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) of the UK, 25% of surveyed employers said that Long COVID is one of the main reasons their employees have to take long-term sick leave. The UK aviation industry struggled to find a way to compensate for the manpower gap in April.

At the time, airlines like British Airways and easyJet had to cancel dozens of flights because many employees quit their jobs because they got COVID-19. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) said that the COVID-19 epidemic continues to cause serious job loss around the world, and it may take several years for recruitment levels to return to pre-pandemic levels. According to the ILO, the number of hours worked globally in 2022 is estimated to have decreased by 2% compared to 2019, equivalent to 52 million jobs in the world.

Currently, scientists continue to find answers about post-Covid-19 sequelae. The World Health Organisation (WHO) considers Long COVID Syndrome one of the "hidden corners" of the epidemic that needs to be explored and studied deeply. Reality shows that, as more people are vaccinated, the damage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic decreases, which includes the effects of Long COVID Syndrome.

According to US scientists, vaccination helps to reduce about 15% of the risk of Long COVID. However, the treatment for people with this syndrome still faces many difficulties because current data on the causes leading to the syndrome is insufficient. In the short term, to address the risk of “thirst” for human resources in the market and protect the interests of workers, US President Joe Biden has assigned the Department of Health and Human Services devise a national plan of action for Long COVID Syndrome.

The failure to properly and fully recognise Long COVID Syndrome will lead to shortcomings in the treatment process, threaten the loss of human resources and “cast a shadow” on the prospects of global recovery. Therefore, health systems must urgently develop a rational and comprehensive treatment roadmap, helping to reduce the impact of the epidemic.