So-called “Long COVID,” the lingering after-effects of the coronavirus, are reportedly no different than those of other common viruses like the flu, health researchers in Australia have found.
According to Dr John Gerrard, Queensland’s chief health officer, continuing to use the fear-inducing term is likely counterproductive and can even slow the recovery process for COVID-positive patients.
“We believe it is time to stop using terms like ‘Long COVID,’” Gerrard said to 9News Australia. “They wrongly imply there is something unique and exceptional about longer-term symptoms associated with this virus. This terminology can cause unnecessary fear, and in some cases, hyper vigilance to longer symptoms that can impede recovery.”
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Gerrard’s assessment came in response to a Queensland Health study surveying 5,112 patients reporting any of the nebulous symptoms associated with “Long COVID,” including coughing, shortness of breath, irregular heartbeat, changes to smell/taste, brain fog, and fatigue. The subjects had all taken COVID tests in 2022, testing both positive and negative, and researchers gathered data on their symptoms and quality of life one year later.
Analysis of these patients found that 16 percent continued experiencing symptoms all the way through spring 2023, and 3.6 percent reported “moderate-to-severe functional impairment” in daily life. Additionally, quality of life for COVID-positive individuals was not found to be significantly less than that of individuals who tested negative or had another virus.
However, the evidence indicates that COVID patients are no more likely to have lingering symptoms than those who tested positive for other viral illnesses, and the symptoms are indistinguishable from those of the seasonal flu.
Related: CDC Revises COVID Guidelines, Says to “Treat It Like the Flu”
“In health systems with highly vaccinated populations, long Covid may have appeared to be a distinct and severe illness because of high volumes of COVID-19 cases during the pandemic,” Gerrard continued. “However, we found that the rates of ongoing symptoms and functional impairment are indistinguishable from other post-viral illnesses. These findings underscore the importance of comparing post-COVID-19 outcomes with those following other respiratory infections, and of further research into post-viral syndromes.””
The full report on the effects of “Long COVID” will be presented next month at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases in Barcelona.
Connor Walcott is a staff writer for Valuetainment.com. Follow Connor on X and look for him on VT’s “The Unusual Suspects.”
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