On February 4, 2021, Janet Diaz, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) clinical care lead in its emergencies programme, emphasized the urgent need to address Long Covid, a condition affecting millions with persistent symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, heart palpitations, and neurological disorders after recovering from acute Covid-19.
Speaking to AFP outside WHO’s Geneva headquarters, Diaz noted, “We still don’t fully understand what Long Covid is,” highlighting the lack of clarity on its causes, prevalence, and treatment.
Global Seminar to Define and Tackle the Issue
The WHO is hosting its first global seminar on Long Covid on February 9, 2021, to unite scientists, clinicians, and experts to define the condition, assign it a formal name (currently termed “post-Covid condition”), and standardize research methods.
Diaz, a 48-year-old US respiratory and intensive care physician, stressed the need to understand who is affected, how many, and why, to improve prevention, management, and treatment.
British studies suggest up to 10% of Covid-19 cases may experience symptoms a month post-infection, affecting diverse groups, including younger people and children, unlike the elderly-focused severe disease profile.
Patient-Driven Awareness
Long Covid emerged on the radar months after the pandemic began in December 2019, with patients themselves connecting through social media to share experiences of prolonged symptoms.
This “tremendous movement” of patient-led advocacy, Diaz noted, has spurred scientific research. Early in the pandemic, overwhelmed healthcare systems focused on acute cases, often overlooking patients who didn’t return to full health.
Observational studies tracking discharged patients are now underway to decode the condition’s mechanisms, whether viral persistence or immune response-related.
Symptoms and Research Challenges
Common Long Covid symptoms include fatigue, post-exertional malaise, cognitive dysfunction, shortness of breath, and cardiac or neurological issues, but their interconnections remain unclear.
Diaz asked, “Why would one person get this, and the other person get that?” Understanding the underlying causes is critical to developing targeted interventions.
The WHO aims to harmonize data collection and foster collaborative research to accelerate answers, with the February 9 seminar launching a series to share findings and set research standards.
Funding and Hope for Sufferers
The seminar will involve donors, whom Diaz described as “really aware” of the urgent need for Long Covid funding. She encouraged those affected, potentially millions, to “stay hopeful,” noting that recovery, though slow, is possible for many.
The WHO’s push for a unified global approach aims to prevent further neglect of this condition amid focus on vaccines and variants, ensuring comprehensive care from acute illness to full recovery.
