At least 17 million Europeans have suffered from long-term COVID-19 disorders in 2020 and 2021, according to an estimate published on Tuesday by the Europe office of the World Health Organization (WHO) which calls for better management. patient care.
This represents more than 16% of the 102.4 million people who were infected with the virus in the first two years of the pandemic in the 53 countries of the continent.
Fatigue, cough, shortness of breath, intermittent fever, loss of taste or smell, depression, long COVID manifests as one or more symptoms from a long list, usually within three months after infection and persisting for at least two months .
“Millions of people in our region, straddling Europe and Central Asia, are suffering from debilitating symptoms months after their initial infection with COVID-19. They cannot continue to suffer in silence,” WHO Regional Director Hans Kluge said in a statement.
“Governments and health partners must work together to find solutions,” he stressed, noting “the urgent need for further analysis, greater investment, increased support and greater solidarity with those who suffer from this disease”.
Long COVID affects twice as many women according to WHO estimates, which are based on calculations by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME).
According to the US-based IHME, some 145 million people globally suffered from long-lasting COVID in 2020 and 2021.