Clinics to treat ‘Long Covid-19’ to be launch for patients suffering with complications

Lingering complications from Covid infections will be treated at four new clinics set to be rolled out in SA, it’s been announced. WATCH LIVE.

Thousands of South Australians suffering with “long Covid-19” will receive high-level treatment for the first time at new specialised government clinics.

SA Health will open four clinics including at the Royal Adelaide and Queen Elizabeth hospitals and Flinders Medical Centre for patients with health complications from infections.

A specialist service will be provide for youngsters at The Women’s and Children’s Hospital through its outpatients clinics but authorities say the syndrom is rare in the young.

Figures show between 10 and 30 per cent of Covid patients develop the condition.

Based on SA cases during the pandemic, this means between 44,000 and 132,000 people have the syndrome.

SA Health said scores of experienced doctors, nurses and other allied health professionals will staff the clinics - “on top of their day jobs”. GPs will refer patients to the clinics, which will then develop treatments.

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Health Minister Chris Picton said the number of South Australians facing long Covid symptoms has significantly risen since the borders opened last year.

“We are obviously in a period where there’s been many more cases of Covid in South Australia and we’re now seeing more cases of long Covid come forward,” he said. 

South Australians experiencing Covid symptoms after 12 weeks will be able to refer to the clinics via their GP and receive ongoing treatment.

“This will enable a single point of contact to be able to help with what could be a wide range of medical issues they could be facing,” Mr Picton said.

The World Health Organisation defines the syndrome as “usually three months from the onset of Covid-19 with symptoms and that last for at least two months”.

Medical Experts say long-Covid “cannot be explained by an alternative diagnosis”.

Common symptoms include fatigue, shortness of breath, cognitive dysfunction, heart problems, “brain fog”, lung scarring or other symptoms that “generally have an impact on everyday functioning”.

Symptoms may also fluctuate or relapse.

Deputy chief public health officer Dr Emily Kirkpatrick, said sufferers also have frequent problems with anxiety, depression, mobility, pain and discomfort.

She said members of the public should be on the lookout for long Covid symptoms such as shortness of breath, muscle aches and pains, memory fog and mental health issues.

Deputy chief public health officer Dr Emily Kirkpatrick. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Brenton Edwards

“It’s important that, if you still have symptoms at that four to six week mark, you book into your GP,” she said.
“(This can) impair their ability to function normally pre-Covid and they have trouble performing activities of daily living such as working and caring for family,” she said.

Dr Kirpatrick said that allied health professionals, such as physiotherapists and exercise therapists, were an important tool in tackling ongoing health issues related to Covid.

She said SA Health’s GP Liaison team help family doctors identify patients between four and six weeks from acute illness to stop their risk of long-Covid developing.

RAH Infectious Disease Consultant Dr Renjy Nelson said the syndrome was first spotted in Covid patients who travelled on the doomed Ruby Princess cruise shop at the pandemic’s start.

The clinic was based on overseas research.

“The large majority of them end up seeing neurologists and psychologists ... as well as cardiologists and respiratory physicians,” he said.

But he was optimistic that high vaccination rates would help lower that figure while most patients will recover.

Dr Nelson said the most common symptoms of long Covid was lethargy and tiredness - with no other explanation for being unable to return to usual levels of activity.

Surgeons are also investigating options for people who have experienced loss of smell as a result of their Covid infections.

“People who are very fit prior to (Covid) are now seeing themselves unable to climb flights of stairs, with aches and pains, or with some degree of cognitive decline,” he said.

Dr Nelson said the large majority of people would recover within six to 12 months of contracting Covid but a small proportion of patients experienced ongoing symptoms past the year mark.

Specialists are from cardiology, respiratory medicine, rheumatology, renal medicine, haematology, neurology, psychology, psychiatry, general medicine, immunology, rehabilitation medicine, and occupation therapy.

This week the SA government launched a campaign to help kickstart the sluggish booster vaccine program.

Latest figures show almost 393,000 eligible double-vaxxed adults have failed to have a third dose.

The details emerged as Covid-19 chiefs met for the Emergency Management Council, during which chief public health officer, Nicola Spurrier, gave the latest advice and briefings on new variants.

Flinders Medical Centre will be home to one of the clinic. Picture: Matt Loxton

Last week Prof Spurrier revealed special genome testing of Omicron variant genetic sequencing found BA. 4 and BA. 5 in the state for the first time during the pandemic.

Authorities also discussed new public health law changes passing the Lower House last week.

Police Commissioner Grant Stevens, who authorises legal directions as state co-ordinator, said there were no changes as he flagged life being “very close” back to normal.

He said there was not much information on the new variants that provides “conclusive direction” on how that would affect pandemic strategies but there were “no concerns”.

He said there was no discussions or contemplation” on imposing restrictions.

But a decision on scrapping masks in schools will occur next meeting after a “brief discussion” on Tuesday.

Education Minister Blair Boyer revealed latest data that shows 642 students and 460 staff are absent with Covid.

This compared with 5,600 ill students and 847 sick workers in the last week of Term 1.

In the past month, SA Health has recorded wildly fluctuating daily case and hospital admission data, which mirrors official modelling.

Originally published as Clinics to treat ‘Long Covid-19’ to be launch for patients suffering with complications