Long Covid clinic wait times blow out as health experts call for national approach to condition

Waiting lists at long Covid rehabilitation clinics have blown out to more than five months, as experts call for a nationally coordinated approach to managing the condition.

Byrne said anecdotal evidence from colleagues suggested a similar picture across the country, although official data from state and territory health departments is near nonexistent.

As long Covid case numbers increase in coming months after the Omicron winter wave, waiting times would further blow out, he said.

The federal health minister, Mark Butler, has flagged the need for a new approach, saying he had already spoken to the chief medical officer, Paul Kelly, about developing a national, focused response to long Covid.

The World Health Organization has defined long Covid as someone who still has symptoms more than three months after the initial infection, that have lasted for at least two months, and cannot be explained by any other diagnosis.

Long Covid can affect the brain, heart, lungs, pancreas, and other organs, with common symptoms including weakness, general malaise, fatigue, headache, concentration impairment, hair loss, shortness of breath and coughing.

While there is no such thing as a typical long Covid patient, Byrne said it particularly affected the socially disadvantaged, many of whom may have other chronic health conditions. Women are also more likely to report long Covid conditions.

A spokesman for the federal health department said researchers were still working to understand how many people might be impacted by long Covid in Australia, with early research estimating 20% of people experienced symptoms after one month, and 5% after three months.

He also said that national cabinet was considering the effective management of long Covid as it reviewed its national response for future waves of the virus.

The New South Wales government has said it will establish several post-Covid clinics for people experiencing long Covid symptoms from early next year, after a $19m budget commitment.

The Australian Capital Territory government said many patients with long Covid would be managed by their treating medical practitioner, with 59 patients treated at its post-Covid clinic at the University of Canberra hospital since March.