Risk of Long Covid increases with every infection

According to an expert, Long Covid could become a major social challenge. She calls for more preventive measures in Germany.

Frankfurt – People in Germany need to be better protected against corona disease again. This is the opinion of Kathryn Hoffmann, head of the department for Primary Care Medicine the Medical University of Vienna. The expert demanded in an interview with the news agency APA on Tuesday (January 2nd) more preventive measures, especially to reduce the risk of Long Covid diseases as a result of an infection. The more often certain people become infected with Covid and develop symptoms, the greater the risk of long-term damage.

According to Hoffmann, it is now known from research that the risk of Long Covid increases cumulatively with each infection. Especially if there is still damage from the previous infection “and the next ones are already on top of it,” says the expert. That's why she warned: “What everyone needs is good infection protection against another SARS-CoV-2 infection.”

Risk of Long Covid increases with every infection – scientist calls for significantly more measures

Above all, measures to ensure clean air indoors are necessary. As an example, Hoffmann cited so-called HEPA filter systems that could be adapted to the size of the room and the number of people. As long as “until ventilation and exhaust air systems are implemented across the board,” she continued. Kindergartens and schools in particular should be given priority in such a measure. But public transport, open-plan offices and hospitals, for example, are also important areas to protect against infections. Until then, the expert advocates wearing “high-quality masks”, especially in the healthcare system and on public transport, as well as good testing options.

Long Covid should therefore not be underestimated in society. In the USA and Great Britain, the many long-term failures due to Long Covid are already making headlines, emphasized Hoffmann. In Austria, too, the number of sick people and days of sick leave at the same time is increasing every year. Germany is no exception: millions of people in this country are estimated to be suffering from Long Covid. This also results in billions in losses for companies and pension funds, as studies suggest.

Expert warns about Long Covid: These people are particularly at risk

In order to understand the risk, it is important to subdivide the term “Long Covid”. Hoffmann differentiates between three large groups of Long Covid patients:

• Those affected who struggle with long-lasting damage due to a severe acute course. Examples of a severe course include pneumonia, myocarditis, pulmonary fibrosis or kidney damage.
• Those affected who develop new illnesses due to an infection or those whose existing illness is made worse by an infection. Examples of this are lung and heart diseases or dysfunctions in the immune system.
• Those affected who suffer from the post-acute infection syndrome Post-Covid after an infection.

Hoffmann explains that the second group in particular is at increasing risk. The more often they become infected, the greater the likelihood of a new disease or an exacerbation of an existing disease. In addition, studies show that “approx. “80 percent of patients experience a worsening of symptoms if they are reinfected,” the APA report continues. There are currently hardly any specific treatment centers for this patient group in particular. But these are “urgently” necessary. Long Covid presents research with a major challenge.

Long Covid in Germany: the situation at a glance

It is difficult to determine how many people in Germany suffer from Long Covid. In November, CDU leader Friedrich Merz spoke of an estimated more than 2.5 million people affected. The number is estimated at 65 million people affected by Long Covid worldwide. According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), it is generally very difficult to reliably estimate the frequency. “In particular, there is a lack of population-representative, controlled studies with sufficient follow-up time that enable a comparison of people with and without a SARS-CoV-2 infection,” writes the RKI.

Merz had called fo
r a large-scale national decade against Long Covid for Germany, “which brings together all the forces in science, research and practice over ten years and ensures that today's stroke of fate becomes treatable diseases as quickly as possible”. The Federal Ministry of Education rejected Merz's criticism as inaccurate. “The Federal Research Minister has been specifically funding research into Long Covid/Post Covid since 2021,” it said. (nz with dpa information)