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Australia spends 33 million USD on long-term Covid-19 research

Posted on 27 Month 04 2023

The Australian Government will disburse an additional $33 million from the Health Research Futures Fund (MRFF) for sustained Covid-19 research.

On April 25, Australia's Minister of Health and Aged Care, Mark Butler said that the above funding helps improve knowledge about Covid-19 for a long time in the context of the epidemic entering a new phase. At the same time, the studies provide the information needed to make policy, set clinical guidelines, improve health outcomes, and raise awareness of the disease in the community.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), persistent Covid is a condition in which a patient, despite having recovered from acute Covid-19, still has symptoms for more than 4 weeks from the onset of infection. These symptoms may be present during the acute episode or appear after recovery.

Prolonged Covid syndrome is very common. Many reports show that the prevalence of this syndrome ranges from 20-96%, depending on the study. In general, it is estimated that about 80% of patients after recovery will experience at least one post-Covid symptom such as prolonged fatigue, headache, muscle and joint pain, cough, shortness of breath, especially shortness of breath during strenuous exercise. , hair loss, loss of taste and smell, decreased cognitive ability, anxiety, depression, sleep disturbance.

The Australian Parliament's report on April 24 said that Australia should continue to use the above definition at this time, but it needs to be revised when the study results. Currently, the country lacks data on prolonged Covid.

*People wait to be tested for nCoV outside the Royal Melbourne Hospital, March 2020. Photo: Herald Sun*

For patients like Tanya Lewis, the Australian government's new decision is welcome news. Lewis struggled with symptoms for 15 months, unable to return to normal work. She tried physical therapy, sports physiology and traditional pain relief methods without success.

Eventually, Lewis was referred to an extended Covid-19 clinic. The experts here guide her in exercises, recommending a Mediterranean diet. However, Lewis understands that her recovery is slow, and doctors are still struggling to understand her condition.

In the context of Covid-19 becoming a routine disease, scientists are concerned that repeated nCoV infection may increase the risk of prolonged Covid-19 infection. Experts don't know the risk factors that cause some people to develop persistent symptoms after testing negative. However, they recognize that any illness can promote the condition.

* SOURCE:https://vnexpress.net/australia-chi-33-trieu-usd-nghien-cuu-covid-19-keo-dai-4598471.html

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