More than four years on from the emergence of COVID-19, in a study from Western Australia, researchers have identified a high prevalence of Long COVID symptoms, affecting the ability of some people to return to work or study. This study focused on the COVID-19 Omicron variant outbreak in 2022 and provides valuable insights into the long-term effects of the virus on a population who were mostly vaccinated before significant outbreaks occurred.
The Australian National University (ANU) spearheaded this comprehensive survey, which included 11,000 Western Australians who tested positive during the Omicron surge.
The results revealed that nearly 20% of the respondents were still experiencing symptoms such as fatigue, memory loss and concentration difficulties three months post-infection. This rate was notably higher than previously reported figures from earlier stages of the pandemic and from other countries. A limitation of the study is the subjective nature of the reporting of symptoms. Participants self-described their symptoms and how they affected their work or study.
While this study had only three months of follow-up, another about the same time involving people in Melbourne found that about a third of participants had at least one symptom under the Long COVID umbrella two years out from an initial infection. Those people though had caught the virus in 2020 and were mostly unvaccinated at time of their first positive test. These studies highlight that the persistence of symptoms is real and can be disabling.
Further information
Long COVID in a highly vaccinated but largely unexposed Australian population following the 2022 SARS‐CoV‐2 Omicron wave: a cross‐sectional survey: Medical Journal of Australia
Don’t believe the headlines, Long-COVID is real: myDr.com.au
