Hurriyet.com.tr/INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Although the coronavirus epidemic seems to have been out of our lives for a long time, it seems that the effect of the virus will continue to stay with us for years. WHO Director Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, in his private statement to the British press, warned the world of the rather serious danger that has not yet passed.
Covid-19 has killed nearly 6.5 million people worldwide and infected more than 600 million. Thanks to the measures taken and widespread vaccination campaigns, the epidemic, which is now forgotten, is not even an agenda item for most countries.
WHOSince Germany declared an international emergency in 2020, the availability of vaccines and treatments for the virus has helped reduce the number of deaths and hospitalizations. The deaths reported from Covid-19 this month are the lowest since March 2020.
CORONAVIRUS IS STILL OUT OF OUR LIVES
However, this does not mean that the coronavirus is completely out of our lives yet.
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WHO Director Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus gave a serious warning to the world in a special statement to The Guardian.
WHO estimates that between 10 percent and 20 percent of those who survive Covid-19 experience medium- and long-term symptoms such as fatigue, shortness of breath and cognitive dysfunction. Experts underline that women are more likely to suffer from this condition.
LONG COVID LIVES DESTROYED
The most authoritative name of the World Health Organization urged countries to initiate an “urgent” and “continuous” action plan, noting that the protracted Covid has devastated the lives and livelihoods of tens of millions of people and damaged health systems and economies.
Ghebreyesus also underlined that the world will face a very serious crisis for this reason.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that with the lack of evidence on how best to treat it, protracted Covid has turned people’s lives upside down and many are facing ‘often long’ and ‘frustrating’ waits for support or guidance.
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THE EFFECT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS
The large numbers of people brutally impacted by Covid’s long tail are having a dangerous impact on healthcare systems and economies still reeling from waves of infections.
Speaking for the Guardian, the WHO Director-General said, “While the pandemic has been significantly overcome due to the launch of many life-saving tools and we can say that there is light at the end of the tunnel, the impact of the prolonged Covid on all countries is very serious and requires urgent and sustained action of equal scale.” .
Stark research published this month suggests that as many as 17 million people in Europe alone may have experienced prolonged Covid symptoms in the first two years of the pandemic.
WOMEN DOUBLE THE RISK
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The report also noted that modeling shows that women are twice as likely to experience long-term Covid as men, and that risk increases significantly among serious infections requiring hospitalization.
According to the report, one in three women and one in five men are likely to develop long-term Covid.
According to WHO, the world has already lost a significant portion of its workforce due to sickness, death, fatigue and unplanned retirement due to the rise in long-term disability that not only affects the healthcare system but also harms the overall economy.
5 KEY ELEMENTS TO FIGHT
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said there are ‘five key elements’ needed to advance long-term Covid-fighting efforts.
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Countries listening to patients, long covid It needs to use first-hand knowledge to shape its policies and gather better data to better understand the situation. In addition, knowledge sharing between countries should be improved to rapidly close knowledge gaps worldwide.
Besides, fair access to Covid tests, treatments and vaccines is required in the first place to avoid infections. Thanks to this access, it is possible to circumvent the long-term risk of Covid with continuous investment and disciplined care in long Covid scientific research.
SYMPTOMS ARE LONG DURING
According to WHO, delayed clinical care in patients with long-term Covid affects not only their quality of life, but also the duration of symptoms.
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Asked if Covid could persist for many years, Openshaw, professor of experimental medicine at Imperial College London, said: “I think there will be people who will be affected for life, but it’s hard to know how widespread it will be. It’s too early to tell, but there are some scary stories of people whose lives have been ruined by post-Covid syndrome.” he replies.
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