In a startling revelation, new research published in Nature Medicine indicates that approximately 400 million people worldwide have been afflicted with long COVID-19, highlighting the lingering shadow of the pandemic on global health.
The study estimates the economic impact at about $1 trillion each year, accounting for healthcare costs and lost productivity due to patients being unable to return to work. This figure represents roughly 1 percent of the global economy, underscoring the profound implications of the condition beyond health.
Conducted four years into the pandemic, the research aims to consolidate existing knowledge on long COVID-19 and to “provide a roadmap for policy and research priorities,” according to Ziyad Al-Aly, one of the authors. Al-Aly serves as the chief of research and development at the V.A. St. Louis Health Care System and is a clinical epidemiologist at Washington University in St. Louis.
Collaborating with leading long COVID-19 researchers and members of the Patient-Led Research Collaborative—an organization formed by long COVID-19 patients who are also professional researchers—the team brings a comprehensive perspective to the study.
Key findings from the research indicate that about 6 percent of adults globally have experienced long COVID-19. Alarmingly, many have not fully recovered, and the lack of effective treatment options remains one of the most significant challenges faced by healthcare systems worldwide.
As long COVID-19 continues to affect millions, the study emphasizes the urgency for international collaboration in research and policy-making to address the ongoing health crisis. The far-reaching economic and social impacts call for immediate action to support those affected and to mitigate future consequences.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
