Over 9k long Covid patients have received treatment - KJ

As of April this year, the Health Ministry has treated 9230 Covid-19 patients experiencing long Covid, a condition that affects the health of Covid-19 patients long after their initial infection has cleared.

Among the treated long Covid patients, 2798 were treated in inpatient settings and 6432 underwent outpatient long Covid rehabilitative medical treatment in the ministry’s facilities, that are located throughout the country.

Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said that 30 to 40 percent of these patients have returned to work three months after being infected with Covid-19, whereas 60 to 70 percent of them returned to work within six months post-infection.

According to Khairy among the symptoms of long Covid are breathing difficulties, lethargy, cough, joint and muscle pain, sleeping difficulties, weak limbs, sensory issues, anxiety, brain fog, and skin lesions.

Meanwhile, he said that 65.1 percent of overall Covid-19 patients in categories four and five experience long Covid, out of which 61.2 percent experienced more than two of the symptoms.

He said that these symptoms may eventually affect the quality of life of Covid-19 patients, which could lead to dire implications.

“Without specific and structured treatment, this condition may prolong until it affects the quality of life of the individual experiencing long-Covid symptoms.

“It may also cause implications such as increased morbidity, disability, decreased productivity, and losing their source of income, which may eventually cause a socio-economic burden not only to the individual but their family, the community and the economy,” Khairy said.

Khairy said that in the event a patient experiences serious long Covid symptoms which impair their ability to return to work, they may seek rehabilitative treatment in selected treatment facilities. - Mkini