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Long Covid - 'I Don't Think Govts Are Taking It Seriously Enough'

The 2023 Nature study, possibly the first statistical combination of results from separate studies "exploring prevalence, risk factors and symptomatology of long COVID in Africa", included 25 studies, more than a thousand papers, and 29,213 patients.

Their findings revealed that almost half of the people studied exhibited Long Covid symptoms, and the most common reason they sought medical help was the most debilitating symptom - fatigue.

This crucial information points to the extent of the burden of Covid-19 on Africa and the world did not end with millions of deaths from this novel coronavirus.

It is not over.

African governments now face treating about 12 million citizens who recovered from the virus but may have ongoing symptoms such as persistent fatigue, shortness of breath, headaches, concentration difficulties, and muscle pain.

allAfrica's Juanita Williams sat down with Professor Resia Pretorius, Stellenbosch University, who's been researching how blood clots form and the impact of inflammation for two decades. 

Pretorius has been at the forefront of acute Covid-19 and Long Covid research since 2022 when the professor and her team first identified inflammatory microclots in blood samples from individuals who contracted Covid-19. Their symptoms persisted for months and, in some cases, even years.

Part 1 of Prof Pretorius interview

Part 2 of Prof Pretorius interview

Image generated by Juanita Williams using Midjourney

The 2023 Nature study, possibly the first statistical combination of results from separate studies "exploring prevalence, risk factors and symptomatology of long COVID in Africa", included 25 studies, more than a thousand papers, and 29 213 patients. Their findings revealed that almost half of the people studied exhibited Long Covid symptoms, and the most common reason they sought medical help was the most debilitating symptom - fatigue. This crucial information points to the extent of the burden of Covid-19 on Africa and the world did not end with millions of deaths from this novel coronavirus. It is not over. African governments now face treating about 12 million citizens who recovered from the virus but may have ongoing symptoms such as persistent fatigue, shortness of breath, headaches, concentration difficulties, and muscle pain. These symptoms often last for months and can severely impact daily functioning and quality of life. Many individuals are unable to work, leading to income loss and increased healthcare costs - straining the already overburdened healthcare systems in many countries. And those statistics do not include people who have Covid-19 right now – acute cases or those without symptoms – who may later exhibit symptoms of Long Covid.

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