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The public submissions to Australia’s long COVID parliamentary inquiry make for tough but important reading.
Most are anonymous, but Mary Klestadt, 65, wanted to tell her story. She was working out five times a week and managing the family company; after a mild bout of COVID she now has “crushing and immovable fatigue” that sleep and rest can’t touch. Reading is exhausting; holding a conversation almost impossible.
“I’m so tired all the time,” reads another submission, “and no one can help me.“
A patient works with a physiotherapist at NSW’s first long COVID clinic.Credit:Louise Kennerley
A third submission comes from a person trying to push through headaches, nausea and brain fog, while watching her sick leave slowly dwindle. She has an appointment at a long COVID clinic – in 90 days. “I worry about being out of the house for more than a couple of hours. Some days the whole thing just makes me cry. I hope it is going to start getting better soon.”
We’ve looked before at the evidence on risk and prevalence of long COVID – suffice to say I don’t think the question of how likely anyone is to get it is settled. Australia needs high-quality prevalence studies, particularly because our risk will be different to other countries: most people infected with COVID in Australia were already vaccinated.
But even if the true risk is very small, the absolute number of people with long COVID is going to be large because so many people have been infected. Arguing about prevalence, as Burnet Institute deputy director Professor Margaret Hellard pointed out to the parliamentary inquiry committee, probably misses the point.
Submissions to the inquiry paint a picture of baffled GPs and disbelieving friends and family.
What do we know about long COVID now?
Examine, a free weekly newsletter covering science with a sceptical, evidence-based eye, is sent every Tuesday. Below is an excerpt – sign up to get the whole newsletter in your inbox.
The public submissions to Australia’s long COVID parliamentary inquiry make for tough but important reading.
Most are anonymous, but Mary Klestadt, 65, wanted to tell her story. She was working out five times a week and managing the family company; after a mild bout of COVID she........
© The Sydney Morning Herald
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