Follow the science — right out the door.
The term “long COVID” should be tossed aside like a stack of expired N95 masks — that’s according to health experts in one country, who found that symptoms of those reportedly suffering a year on weren’t any different than your typical virus, such as the flu.
Government-backed medical researchers in Australia say it’s time to stop using the fear-inducing phrase, which became popular after high volumes of people testing positive for COVID-19 led to a surge in generally non-severe “virus fatigue symptoms” that would normally have gone unnoticed, South West News Service reported.
An Australian government agency study found that symptoms of so-called “long COVID” were no different from those who struggled to recover from other viral illnesses. brizmaker – stock.adobe.com
“We believe it is time to stop using terms like ‘Long COVID’,” said Dr. John Gerrard, Queensland’s Chief Health Officer, who oversaw the newly-released study.
“They wrongly imply there is something unique and exceptional about longer term symptoms associated with this virus,” he explained.
This terminology can cause unnecessary fear, and in some cases, hyper-vigilance to longer symptoms that can impede recovery,” Gerrard warned.
Researchers at Queensland Health surveyed 5,112 symptom sufferers