Queensland study reveals severe symptoms for long-Covid no different to the flu

Queensland Health boss John Gerrard said the unique study conducted by the state’s health department debunks a widely held view about long Covid-19.

A landmark study by Queensland health authorities has revealed the effects of long Covid-19 is no more severe than influenza in a highly vaccinated population.

Results from the globally unique research shocked Queensland Health boss John Gerrard, who said repeated reports of the ongoing impact of the virus suggested it was extraordinary in its ability to severely impact patients many weeks after the initial infection.

But the chief health officer said the results of the study, which will be presented at a global infectious diseases conference in Copenhagen on Monday (Queensland time), show long-term effects were almost identical to the flu.

Dr Gerrard said it was critical, however, to consider the impacts were drawn from a highly vaccinated community in Queensland, where vaccination rates among adults were more than 90 per cent before the virus circulated widely. He said there were at least 10 peer-reviewed studies that showed the effects of long Covid-19 was weakened by vaccination.

Dr Gerrard said the Queensland study shows long-term effects of Covid were no different to other viruses. Picture: Dan Peled / NCA NewsWire

During concurrent waves of Omicron and the flu in mid-2022, nearly 2200 adults who were clinically diagnosed with contracting Covid and nearly 1000 with influenza were studied for 12-weeks after their initial infection.

Of the Covid patients, 21 per cent reported ongoing symptoms at 12 weeks and just 4 per cent said they had moderate to severe effects that caused functional impairment.

This compared to 23 per cent of those infected with influenza reporting ongoing symptoms at the same period while 4 per cent said they had moderate to severe functional limitations in everyday life.

“We were surprised about this because the sense you get from reports internationally is there is something quite unique and strange about Covid-19,” Dr Gerrard said.

“And our data suggests that it really isn’t unique. The symptoms people experience at 12 weeks are not dissimilar to seasonal influenza.”

Dr Gerrard stressed the research does not question the seriousness of long Covid-19 but “it is not obvious that it’s different from other viruses”.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the study vindicated the state government’s hard border closures which shielded Queensland from widespread infection until the population was widely vaccinated.

“We know our high vaccination rates protected Queenslanders from the worst of Covid-19,” she said.

“It appears they also helped suppress the severity of long-Covid symptoms.”

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said it was a reminder of the importance to stay up to date with immunisations.