An inquiry has found long COVID is on the rise across Australia, with doctors struggling to keep up with patient numbers.
A federal parliamentary inquiry into long COVID is currently investigating the social, economic and health impacts of long COVID.
Doctors from long COVID clinics told the inquiry that they are becoming inundated with patient requests.
Patients are usually referred to these clinics via their GP.
Professor Shidan Tosif, from the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, told the inquiry that the waiting list is increasing, as post-COVID symptoms can take time to be diagnosed.
WHO recommends immediate action to tackle long COVID
The head of the World Health Organisation (WHO) has recommended immediate action to tackle the severe impact of long COVID.
Director General of the WHO, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, says that long COVID is devastating the lives of millions of people across the world, labelling it a crisis.
Dr Ghebreyesus said that while COVID cases are at an all-time low and the world is well positioned to call an end to the pandemic, long COVID is still causing considerable damage.
The WHO estimates up to 20 per cent of those who have had COVID have been left with mid to long term symptoms.
Ghebreyesus called for countries to take immediate action, with serious and sustained efforts, to tackle long COVID.
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Victorian Numbers
Across Victoria, over 92 percent of people aged five years and older, have now received at least one dose of a COVID vaccine as of 13 October.
Over 74 percent of people aged 16 years and older have received three vaccine doses, with 38 per cent of those eligible, aged 30 years and older, having received a fourth dose.
Health Message
The Immunisation Coalition is lobbying to improve the number of Australians receiving their third COVID vaccine dose.
CEO of the Coalition, Kim Sampson, said that winter had produced a severe flu season, as well as new variants of the Omicron strain circulating.
He also emphasised the importance of being up-to-date on both third and fourth COVID vaccine doses, with preventative protocols such as wearing of face masks and isolating now further relaxed in Victoria.
(News complied by NEMBC Multilingual News, Victoria)
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