Plan for longer-term treatment of COVID-19 essential, Lords urge Government
Tuesday 15 September 2020
In its evidence session earlier today, the Lords Science and Technology Committee heard from experts about the long-term health implications of COVID-19 and the requirement to set up specialist multi-disciplinary clinics to provide care for physical and mental health.
The session raised renewed concerns over limited capacity in primary and secondary care, for those who survive COVID-19 but continue to suffer from longer-term effects of the virus. This includes people who have had a serious illness, those suffering from “long-COVID”, and others who might have sustained damage to lungs, heart or kidneys that could become worse over time.
The committee is concerned that public health messaging is not clear enough about the fact that the severity of the disease varies considerably between people and we do not know if long term health issues are only a problem in those who have suffered serious disease. It is possible that some younger people could suffer from longer-term health implications.
Lord Patel, Chair of the Committee, commented:
“As the pandemic continues to spread again, the Government must show that it is not just focusing on the now but implementing wider plans for the longer-term care of COVID-19 survivors, who may experience longer health implications.
“The Government must now move quickly to establish clinics in order to effectively treat longer-term sufferers.”
