$50m injection into research long Covid among older Aussies

The federal government is allocating over $50m to study the impact of long Covid among vulnerable Australians following a recent inquiry highlighting the condition as an 'emerging health issue.'

Health Minister Mark Butler announced the funding for the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) on Monday after a new report from the House of Representatives on Health, Aged Care and Sport.

Mr Butler said he has tasked the health department with developing a 'national plan to respond to long Covid' to protect vulnerable Australians, including older people.

Older Australians are at a greater risk of persisting Covid symptoms and the virus triggering or exacerbating chronic conditions, including cardiovascular and respiratory.

One of the Australian Government's Deputy Chief Medical Officers, Professor Michael Kidd, said long Covid was challenging to diagnose due to the varying severity and duration of each symptom.

Research has linked up to 200 non-specific symptoms to the condition, including fatigue, breathlessness, high heart rate, muscle and joint pain, sleep problems, and cognitive issues such as brain fog.

Currently, there's no test to diagnose long Covid.

Professor Kidd said the symptoms associated with long Covid, such as fatigue and brain fog, could appear similar to the effects of ageing or age-related disorders.

"Understanding the condition in older Australians is a priority, but this is an area we are not looking at or hearing anything about," he said.

"Particularly in aged care, where there have been so many people infected with the virus, we're worried they're getting misdiagnosed as frailty when they actually have long Covid.

"As a result, they miss out on the benefits of potential multidisciplinary care which may help them to recover and regain some of the function they may otherwise lose, causing a further deterioration in their health."

Over 80,000 deaths in residential aged care have been attributed to Covid since the Omicron outbreak in mid-December 2021.

While it's estimated that 5 to 10 per cent of Covid infections result in long Covid, the actual number of older Australians living with the condition is unknown.

Professor Kidd suggested that 'healthcare staff should consider long Covid in the differential diagnosis of relevant symptoms in older people rather than assume increasing frailty.'

"Clinicians should pursue early multidisciplinary assessment and management of persisting symptoms," he said.

"Addressing the physical, psychological, and functional aspects will mitigate the effect of the condition and improve older people's health and quality of life."

The report recommended a definition be made for the condition known as post-acute sequelae of Covid, or PASC. 

Grant opportunities will open in August, with the research aiming to generate evidence to inform policy and clinical guidance, improve health outcomes, and increase awareness of the condition in the community. 

The chair of the committee, Dr Mike Freelander, said the lack of understanding around long Covid made it more difficult for healthcare professionals to treat patients.

"It is clear that the emergence of long Covid has created challenges for patients and healthcare professionals alike," Dr Freelander said.

"Health care professionals, who worked tirelessly over the acute phase of the pandemic, are now in a difficult situation trying to support patients with this new and poorly understood condition."

Among the report's nine recommendations, the committee advised the government to establish and fund a multidisciplinary body to assess the impact of poor indoor air quality and ventilation in high-risk settings, such as aged care.

It also suggested creating evidence-based guidelines for living with long Covid, more support for primary healthcare providers, and access to antiviral treatments.

It also suggested a nationally coordinated research program for both Covid and long Covid.

During the investigation, the committee conducted four public hearings and obtained close to 600 submissions from government bodies, organizations, and individuals.

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