Long Covid crisis looms: Full list of Victorian aged care facilities with Covid outbreaks

Fears are growing Victoria is facing a secondary Covid crisis that will cripple employers, as previously fit and healthy young people are left unable to work or parent because of a legacy condition.

A petition has been launched calling on the federal government to take urgent action on long Covid, as health experts warn the state faces a looming crisis of young and middle-aged Victorians unable to work or care for their children because of the debilitating illness.

Victorian health authorities recently stepped up warnings over the growing number of long Covid cases being diagnosed among previously fit and healthy, young Victorians.

The condition can leave people with a raft of devastating medical problems — including constant fatigue — and unable to work, care for their families or exercise.

Melbourne long Covid sufferer Jordan Crane — who last week publicly told his horror story of how the illness had radically changed his life — started the petition, calling for action to address the growing threat.

Before Christmas, Melbourne mother Alicia shared her story of how long Covid had left her unable to parent her children properly and wrecked her life.

Long Covid sufferers should avoid exercise. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

The Change.org petition, which demands implementation of all recommendations of the Australian long Covid inquiry, states at least one in 10 Covid infections lead to long Covid, “a debilitating, multi-organ condition which can have devastating impacts on people’s lives”.

“Anyone can get long Covid, including the young, healthy and vaccinated,” Mr Crane said.

“We are calling on Minister for Health and Aged Care Mark Butler to urgently implement all the recommendations of the Australian long Covid inquiry.”

Head of Melbourne’s Burnet Institute Professor Brendan Crabb tweeted that Covid cases in Australia were now “likely in the millions”.

“Apart from the enormous acute impact, there will be a large addition to the long Covid burden as a result,” he said.

“Those reinfected and/or suffering mild initial illness can still get LC (long Covid). Surely it’s unsustainable.”

Research shows similarities between long Covid and the early stages of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, dementia and Parkinson’s.

Groundbreaking research by Melbourne’s La Trobe University has found some of the neurological symptoms of long Covid are caused by “amyloid clumps” appearing in the brain, which are similar to those that cause Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

Dr Nick Reynolds from La Trobe’s Institute for Molecular Science last year said the research revealed similarities between the effects of Covid and the early stages of neurodegenerative diseases, inluding Parkinson’s.

“It may be possible that existing drugs may be used to treat the brain fog that affects a significant portion of people who go on to experience long Covid, having been infected with SARS-CoV-2,” Dr Reynolds said.

Long Covid is marked by neurological symptoms including memory loss, sensory confusion, severe headaches — and even stroke in up to 30 per cent of cases — which can persist for months after the initial infection is over.

Alicia shared her devastating long Covid horror story late last year. Source: Twitter

She is now constantly fatigued and unable to care for her children. Source: Twitter

While there was evidence that the virus could enter the brain of infected people, the precise mechanisms causing these neurological symptoms were unknown, he said.

A newly-published, major international study into long Covid found the debilitating illness also causes skeletal muscle changes in patients, that worsen with physical exertion.

It also causes metabolic changes.

Researcher and study author Dr Rob Wüst from Amsterdam’s Vrije Universiteit said lower exercise capacity in patients with long Covid could be partly explained by discernible changes in their skeletal muscle structure and function.

Extensive muscle damage had been found in some long Covid patients, Dr Wüst said.

“Skeletal muscle mitochondrial function and metabolism were altered in patients with long Covid, and this worsened after induction of post-exertional malaise.

“Intense exercise is not good for patients with long Covid!” he tweeted late last week.

“The study contributed to our understanding of muscle pain, fatigue and weakness in patients and provides a biological substrate for the disease.

“It doesn’t directly point to the cause of the disease but highlights that exercise can worsen symptoms in patients … we can only recommend to avoid strenuous exercise for now.”

In December last year, La Trobe University disease expert Dr Sarah Annesley told the Herald Sun repeat Covid infections, or one very bad infection, increased the risk of developing long Covid, which she described as “a brain fog, like having a hangover, the flu and jet lag all at once”.

Long Covid has been described as “a brain fog, like having a hangover, the flu and jet lag all at once”. Source: Twitter

New data published by the Victorian Agency for Health Information had revealed a “high” 14 per cent of people in the state who had suffered a Covid infection had gone to develop the illness, she said

While the likelihood of developing the disease was greater for people who had been very sick with Covid initially, “there is still like a large amount of people that have had a mild infection and are developing long Covid”, Dr Annesley, who is studying the illness, said.

It was being diagnosed in many younger and middle-aged Victorians, about three months after their initial Covid infection — with symptoms for some similar to the quality of life destroying chronic fatigue syndrome, she said.

There was a high incidence of long Covid “in the middle-aged population, people who are working”, Dr Annesley said.

“So there are big impacts there, if they don’t recover, or take a long time to recover … some people will have this now forever. That’s like decades of having an illness. It’s really something you don’t want to get,” she said.

Grim warnings as Covid rips through nursing homes

More than 100 Victorian nursing homes are battling Covid outbreaks, as the state faces a worsening wave of the highly contagious and new strain JN.1.

New data from the Australian Department of Health and Aged Care reveals 115 Victorian facilities had Covid outbreaks as of January 4, with 425 active resident cases and 156 active staff cases.

Nearly half (54) of the nursing home outbreaks started after Christmas, in the week leading up to January 4.

The data also reveals that as of January 3, 2024, only 32.3 per cent of Victorian aged care residents had received vaccination boosters in the last six months.

Aged care insiders have told the Herald Sun mask rules in many nursing homes are lax and ad hoc at best and non-existent at worst, with staff even failing to consistently wear them in many facilities.

The Herald Sun reported on Saturday nearly 380 Victorians a day had been hospitalised with Covid that week.

Victorian Department of Health surveillance data released on January 5 revealed an average of 377 people had been hospitalised with Covid each day that week, up from 307 a day the week before.

The seven-day average of patients in intensive care had also increased, from 19 to 23 — and, tragically, 168 Victorians had died in the most recent reporting period of November 22 to December 19, 2023.

Just 32.3 per cent of Victorian aged care residents have received Covid vaccination boosters in the last six months. Picture: AFP

Victorian chief health officer Dr Clare Looker warned community transmission of Covid cases was increasing and recent weeks had seen a sharp spike in hospitalisations.

The surge was due to the spread of the new variant JN. 1 — which is now dominant in Victoria.

“During this time, it is especially important that those at greatest risk of becoming seriously ill from Covid-19 are protected against catching Covid-19 — this includes people aged 65 and above, people with a disability or chronic medical condition and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people,” Dr Looker said.

She advised Victorians to start wearing masks, get a Covid booster, open windows and doors to let in fresh air and meet outside when and where possible.

They should also stay at home if they have symptoms, test for Covid and see their doctor about antivirals if very unwell and if they eligible.