New research into long Covid reveals that the economic losses are on par with the 2008 global financial crisis, according to Roscommon/Galway TD Denis Naughten.
Dep Naughten pointed out that the economic impact of long Covid remains preliminary based on parameters including lost quality of life, cost of lost earnings and spending on healthcare.
“The new review, which has just been published in Nature Medicine, is the most comprehensive review study since the pandemic, and reveals that not only is long Covid having a devastating impact on individuals and communities, but it also has significant implications for healthcare demands and negative economic consequences,” stated Denis Naughten.
“The condition also profoundly effects health systems. Patients with long Covid often require ongoing medical care and multiple specialist consultations to manage their complex symptoms. This increased strain exacerbates existing pressures on a health service, such as the one operating here in Ireland, which is already struggling to manage existing demand. This situation leads to longer wait times, potential delays in essential cancer services and increased costs across the health sector.
“Furthermore, long Covid not only places significant financial strain on patients but also has wide and deep ramifications for national economies. According to the Nature Medicine review of long Covid studies, in addition to the substantial direct healthcare costs, there is also financial strain on support services and disability benefits. The review points out that long Covid effects labour participation, employment and the productivity of impacted individuals and their caregivers, resulting in depleted savings, food and housing insecurity as well as a negative impact on labour supply, thereby fuelling labour shortages.”
This new research indicates that over three-quarters of people with long Covid report a moderate or severe impact on general well-being, with one in four patients limiting their activities outside of work commitments in order to remain at work. This resonates with a series of national population surveys on the persistence of long Covid in the Irish adult population, commissioned by Denis Naughten TD over the past 18 months. These polls have been conducted by the leading polling company, Ireland Thinks.
“The review published in the last few days in the academic journal Nature Medicine shows that the risk of long Covid increases with each subsequent infection. It also highlights that recovery rates are low, with only 7-10% of patients fully recovered after two years. This makes long Covid a major public health crisis, straining health systems and economies, and potentially hindering global progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs ),” stated Denis Naughten.
The research concludes that the best way to prevent long Covid is to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection or reinfection in the first place. This includes measures such as masking, especially in high-risk places like hospitals, with revised isolation guidelines and sick leave policies across society that allow people with infection to recuperate at home.
“The study also calls for the streamlining of disability benefit processes and the implementation of return-to-work policies that support individuals with long Covid, something which has been resisted by the Department of Social Protection to date, despite my requests for such a reform. These could include flexible working hours, increased breaks, the option for remote work and sick leave policies,” commented Denis Naughten.
He continued: “This comprehensive review of the global research on long Covid calls on the Government to build and expand access to long Covid clinics, particularly for marginalised communities, including rural areas. This runs contrary to the policy to date in Ireland, with a stalling of long Covid staff recruitment nationwide and the failure to deliver a long Covid clinic at Letterkenny Hospital.
“Finally, the research emphasises the need for professional medical education and training to recognise and manage long Covid effectively, as well as a need to revise the current rollout of the Covid -19 vaccination programme to prioritise the prevention of long Covid,” concluded Denis Naughten.
