Some Covid-19 patients suffer from persistent symptoms of the disease for months.

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Baleydier / SIPA

The "long Covid", which mysteriously affects a significant number of Covid-19 patients, must "be of the utmost importance" for all health authorities around the world, the European branch of the World Organization called on Thursday. health (WHO).

“This is a clear priority for WHO, and of the utmost importance.

This must be for all health authorities, "said Hans Kluge, director of the UN health organization in Europe, during a press conference, deploring that these long-term symptoms too often come up against" disbelief or a lack of understanding ”.

"The burden is real and significant"

People with symptoms for a long time "must be heard if we are to understand the long-term consequences and the cure from Covid-19", he stressed.

While some studies are starting to lift a corner of the veil, we still do not really know why some patients with Covid-19 then display symptoms such as extreme fatigue, breathing difficulties or sometimes very severe neurological and cardiac disorders for months. .

"The burden is real and significant: around one in ten Covid-19 patients remains unwell after 12 weeks, and often for much longer", pointed out Hans Kluge during this regular WHO Europe press briefing, exceptionally focused on the "Covid long".

A call to set up a "common research program"

WHO Europe has called on countries and European institutions to set up "a common research program", with harmonized data collection.

Its director will also bring together the medical officials of the 53 member countries of the regional organization "to put in place a regional strategy" in this area, he announced.

At the beginning of February, the WHO had already organized the first virtual seminar devoted to long Covid to find a definition of the disease, give it a formal name and harmonize the methods to study it.

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