Doctors demand better co-ordination to solve Long Covid problems

Covid-19 can damage internal organs and result in long term suffering for some people. © Keystone / Gaetan Bally

Calls are growing for Switzerland to keep better track of people suffering from Long Covid to gain an understanding of the symptoms and the overall impact on society.

Criticism centres on the fact that there is no central database to record the number and severity of Long Covid cases – a device that could improve understanding of the new medical condition.

“Long Covid could turn out to be another major health policy problem,” neuroscientist Dominique de Quervain told the SonntagsBlick newspaper on Sunday.

While some people recover completely after catching Covid-19, others suffer from continuous side-effects, such as energy loss, shortness of breath and memory lapses.

Understanding of Long Covid is limited to individual studies, one of which in Switzerland found that 39% of infected people in the study had long-term effects months after contracting the virus.

It has also been found that women are more likely to suffer from long Covid than men, but it is not known why.

The Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ) newspaper on Saturday quoted a family doctor who also called for a central database to gain insights into the condition.

No legal basis

Basel infectiologist Manuel Battegay told the SonntagsZeitung that a database is not enough. He called for a coordinated national study into Long Covid.

Quite apart from the suffering Long Covid inflicts on individuals, there is a fear that the condition could place a strain on the welfare insurance system.

A spokesperson for the Federal Office of Public Health told the NZZ that there is no legal basis for the government launching a central database.

“It makes sense that the phenomenon should first be researched in various research projects and studies,” she said.