Many people suffer from Long Covid after their Corona disease. New figures from the WHO show the immense extent of the spread.
Copenhagen/Tel Aviv – The corona pandemic has been keeping us in suspense for almost three years. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 600 million people have already fallen ill and almost 6.5 million have died from the virus. But many who have recovered also suffer from the consequences of the infection for a long time, keyword: Long Covid. Now the WHO has published new worrying numbers on Long Covid. An estimated 17 million people in Europe were affected by long-Covid symptoms in the first two years of the pandemic, according to an analysis conducted for the World Health Organization.
Long Covid: 17 million sufferers in Europe – the risk of falling ill is twice as high in women
For the model calculation, the University of Washington had evaluated cases in the 53 European member states, as the Copenhagen-based WHO Europe Office announced on Tuesday. The criterion was a symptom duration of at least three months in the years 2020 and/or 2021.
The research suggests that women are twice as likely to develop Long Covid than men. In addition, the long-Covid risk increases drastically after a severe corona infection, the treatment of which required hospitalization. According to the model calculation, one in three affected women and one in five affected men had to struggle with symptoms of Long Covid after such a severe course.
“We still have a lot to learn about Long Covid”: Researchers are pushing for more analysis
“We still have a lot to learn about Long Covid,” said WHO Europe Director Hans Kluge during a WHO meeting in Tel Aviv. “But this data makes it clear that we urgently need more analysis, more investment, more support and more solidarity with those affected.” Millions of people suffered from debilitating symptoms in the months after a corona infection. “You must not continue to suffer in silence. Governments and health partners must work together to find solutions based on research and evidence.” A recent study by the University Hospital Essen on Long Covid provided new insights that led to a new perspective on the disease. According to the study, the psyche could play a crucial role.
According to the study, around 145 million people worldwide were affected by long-Covid symptoms in the first two years of the pandemic. (md with dpa)
