Australian health officials have come out and said there is no such thing as “long COVID,” referring to the so-called lingering symptoms of the COVID-19 virus. Federal health experts have debunked the theory of long COVID, and say instead that symptoms a year later are not any different from typical viruses, like the flu for example. .Medical researchers from Australia’s government-affiliated health agency say the phrase “long COVID” should not be thrown around anymore as it instills “unnecessary fear,” according to the South West News Service.The phrase became popular when many people who tested positive for the virus reported non-severe “virus fatigue symptoms” that would normally seem benign, or like any other cold or flu symptoms. .“We believe it is time to stop using terms like ‘long COVID,’” said Dr. John Gerrard, Queensland’s chief health officer, who facilitated the study. “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,” Gerrard cautioned. .Queensland Health researchers conducted surveys on 5,112 patients over the age of 18 that suffered symptoms for a drawn-out period of time and suspected they had long COVID. These patients were taken from a larger pool of sick people in Australia in spring 2022 who had taken COVID tests, no matter whether they tested positive or negative. The symptoms reported include fatigue, brain fog, cough, shortness of breath, change to smell and taste, dizziness, and rapid or irregular heartbeat, reported the New York Post. .Participants were quizzed a year later on their symptoms and quality of life. Scientists found 16% of respondents reported symptoms in spring 2023, while 3.6% said they experienced “moderate-to-severe functional impairment” in their daily lives.There was no evidence that suggested those who tested positive for COVID-19 in 2022 had an increased level of impairment at a higher rate than those who tested negative for COVID-19, or those who had 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 said.“However, we found that the rates of ongoing symptoms and functional impairment are indistinguishable from other post-viral illnesses,” he continued..“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 final report is set to be presented at the April 2024 European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases in Barcelona..The study, released after what was deemed International Long COVID Awareness Day, garnered some hefty backlash. Some people argue long COVID-19 is a real and serious threat. Long COVID Support Australia released a statement in response to the Queensland health chief's study, decrying its finding because they have "have overshadowed International Long COVID Awareness Day, causing distress for sufferers."
