New report warns long COVID could be "mass disabling event"

[Nevilledog]

https://www.insurancebusinessmag.com/ca/news/breaking-news/new-report-warns-long-covid-could-be-mass-disabling-event-439109.aspx

Canada’s chief science adviser has released a report on long COVID, warning that it could have significant long-term impacts on the country’s economy.

In the report, Dr. Mona Nemer called COVID-19 the “head” of the pandemic and long COVID its “tail,” citing the debilitating effects of the disease that can linger long after the initial infection.

She estimated that 10-20% of people with COVID-19 develop long COVID or post-COVID condition (PCC), with symptoms including high blood pressure, an irregular heartbeat, chronic fatigue, brain fog, muscle pain, and blurred vision.

“Some patients have not recovered two to three years after the initial infection and it is uncertain whether a proportion may ever fully recover,” Nemer said in the report, adding that the lack of consensus on a clear definition and diagnostic criteria can make it difficult to lodge claims for social assistance, disability supports, and insurance.

There could be wider socio-economic implications too, as analysis of long COVID in other countries, including the United Kingdom and the United States, indicated “significant impacts on the labour market and the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), in addition to health costs and demands.”

Nemer said Canada could face a “mass disabling event,” since it has become “increasingly evident” that long COVID is a serious condition that could raise the risk of several chronic diseases, including diabetes, hypertension and arrhythmia.

*snip*

[SunSeeker]

1. My son got covid when he was 18 (he was vaccinated), but now has elevated blood pressure.

He's only 19 now, an athlete, super lean and muscular. His BP is now 135/80. It used to be 110/60 before he had covid. Kinda scary. He got over the intial covid symptoms (fever, runny nose) really quick, like in 5 days, but then we noticed the higher BP at a subsequent annual physical. He's had the higher BP for a year now. It really worries me. What's going to happen when he reaches middle age? What the fuck did covid do to his cardiovascular system? Nobody has any answers.

[Nerd 50]

3. General Discussion

My son is 25 years old. He did have COVID. But he fully recovered. Your poor baby his blood pressure is extremely high for his age.

[Skittles]

2. so many selfish fucking idiots just do not fucking care

no precautions at all anymore, for the most part

[ecstatic]

4. That's interesting. My blood pressure is really high now

I've never officially had covid. Never any symptoms, never a positive test, and I've taken many. I've even had direct, long term exposure to covid positive folks. Don't know what to think at this point.

[Nerd 50]

6. General Discussion

Please keep on top of your blood pressure. My husband never had COVID. But he did have high blood pressure.He had stroke in 2020. He has been diagnosed with vascular dementia in December. His circumstances are completely different than someone. Who had COVID. But the long haul COVID. Sounds like it affects cardio vascular system. Which is very concerning.

[anarch]

5. I've had this shit for three years now

some of the most alarming symptoms (e.g. not being able to breathe, blood pressure through the roof, feeling like I'm having a heart attack and so on) have dissipated, but I still get the brain fog and fatigue, especially after even mildly exerting myself physically, and I still can't really smell much of anything after all this time. It sucks.

I have a desk job and have worked from home since before the pandemic even, so I've been able to accommodate my diminished capabilities; it's bad enough feeling wiped out constantly and sometimes having to just walk away and lie down with my brain not working properly, but if I worked as a driver or something, or anything that required physical work really, this would be completely debilitating.

On the bright side I guess, this will surely take at least twenty years off the end of my lifespan, so I won't have to put up with it for much longer.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

7. This is exactly what it is, and it's happening in slow motion.