The study found that young patients unvaccinated with the pathogen were at greater risk of developing long-term debilitating symptoms of the disease. The decision to lift restrictions on coronaviruses in England could see an increase in cases, with a leading scientist claiming the nation could slip into “uncharted territory” in terms of the number of people infected with a long Covid. Government epidemiological advisers expect at least one to two million coronavirus infections in the coming weeks after the restrictions are lifted.
The vaccines will help reduce the number of people hospitalized or likely to die.
However, the move could leave many young people with long-term health problems, researchers said.
Long-Covid is also known as post-Covid syndrome and exhibits more than a dozen symptoms that can last for months after testing positive with the pathogen.
Symptoms include fatigue, shortness of breath, chest pain, trouble sleeping, and problems with memory and concentration, often referred to as “brain fog”.
Imperial College immunology professor Danny Altmann said there was evidence from several countries that a significant number of people who contract Covid are at risk of developing longer-term disease.
Speaking to the Guardian, he said: “Of every version of Covid we have ever seen on the planet, we have a rule of thumb that any case of Covid, whether asymptomatic, mild, severe or hospitalized, incurs a 10 to 20% risk of developing a long Covid.
“We saw no exceptions to this.”
Now Health Secretary Sajid Javid has warned that coronavirus infections after restrictions were lifted could soon reach 100,000 a day.
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Mr Altmann said it was reasonable then to expect 10,000 or 20,000 of those daily cases to continue to develop a long Covid.
But there are huge uncertainties around the long Covid, including why some are at higher risk than others, how long the symptoms last, and what treatments might help.
Mr Atmann added: “It’s a nightmare for anyone to plan precisely because it’s such a slippery thing to grasp.
“We don’t understand where we are going because we are in truly uncharted territory.
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“But, we know enough to know that it sounds serious enough and scary enough.”
Epidemiologist Claire Steves of King’s College London has said the next six weeks or so will be risky as England opens up and many young adults have not been fully vaccinated.
The epidemiologist said coronavirus vaccines offered hope in protecting people from the long Covid.
She said: “We are seeing a very marked reduction in the risk of long Covid in all age groups if you have had two shots of the vaccine,
“We know that vaccines really work to lower your risk of getting infected in the first place, and then if you are unlucky enough to catch Covid, we show that your risk of long Covid is significantly reduced. “
Dr Steves said people who develop Long-Covid get better over time.
She added, “Even in individuals who are still symptomatic now, they are improving, they are better than they were three months ago and six months ago.
“But there is this set of individuals who really have a very longstanding change in their ability to function.”
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This notice was published: 2021-07-13 18:42:23
