Two million people have long covid in france, new figures show

ALTHOUGH INCREASINGLY RECOGNISED AS A GENUINE HEALTH CONDITION, IT CAN STILL TAKE A LONG TIME TO BE DIAGNOSED AND RECEIVE THE RIGHT CARE Two million people in France are suffering from long

Covid, a new report shows, with a continuing impact on patients’ family, social and professional lives. New figures from the French health authority _Santé publique France_ (SPF) show some

who contracted the disease in recent years are still experiencing symptoms, including fatigue, headaches, cognitive issues and respiratory problems, among other problems. Several studies

show long Covid is a genuine issue and that the disease continues to cause inflammation, but the reasons remain uncertain. French national health research centre Inserm (_l’Institut national

de la santé et de la recherche médicale_) says anyone who has had Covid can be affected by the condition but several factors appear to make it more likely. These include the severity of the

initial symptoms and the patient’s age. Women also appear to be more likely than men to get long Covid. Being vaccinated also offers more protection, as it stops the spread of the virus and

can also lead to a less severe form of the illness. ‘NO ONE CASE OF LONG COVID IS THE SAME’ In a bid to help people who are still suffering, France’s health ministry invested €20million in

putting ‘coordination cells’ in place last year, which are intended to help inform patients and make it easier for them to access continued care. This scheme has been created with local

health agencies - Agences régionales de santé (ARS) - and also benefited from funds from the regional investment fund le _fonds d’investissement régional_ (FIR). Didier Jaffre, director

general of the ARS Occitanie, told the regional newspaper _La Dépêche_: “No one case of long Covid is the same as the other. The symptoms developed by patients are very different from one

person to another. Each patient must have access to a personalised care plan. “The most important thing is to get the right diagnosis, so patients are directed towards the right care path.”

DIAGNOSIS DELAY Awareness of long Covid is still low, however, and some patients may be diagnosed with other health conditions - or even depression - before finally arriving at the correct

diagnosis several months later. However, since 2021, the illness has been recognised as a genuine long-term condition in France (_une affection de longue durée_, ALD). This means that its

care can be 100% reimbursed by the Assurance maladie. Patients who believe they could have long Covid can take a quiz on the Ameli.fr website, and be directed towards specific care. And some

people are still getting Covid, despite cases have dropped significantly. Mr Jaffe added: “Covid is still going around, and even though some patients have developed long Covid over the past

two years, we are still regularly seeing cases from much more recently.” READ ALSO COVID-19: FRENCH EXPERTS RESPOND TO NEW STUDIES ON LONG-TERM EFFECTS ‘LONG COVID’: FRANCE CONSIDERS HOW TO

HELP LONG-TERM CASES