SINGAPORE - Long Covid-19 syndrome - which sees patients suffer residual symptoms such as fatigue and chest pains weeks and months after infection - has been described in several countries but Singapore's health authorities have yet to get a firm grip on what it entails.
This includes what causes "long Covid" syndrome, how it manifests and how it can be addressed, Singapore's director of medical services Kenneth Mak said during a virtual press conference held by the multi-ministry task force on tackling Covid-19 on Thursday (June 24).
Associate Professor Mak noted that there are anecdotal reports that suggest vaccination provides some remedy for long Covid syndrome.
"Some longstanding sufferers of long Covid syndrome have reported improvements in the symptoms after vaccination. And this may potentially be another reason to encourage even recovered cases to seek vaccination," he said.
Long Covid is a condition where some people continue to experience Covid-19 symptoms for longer than usual, even after recovering from the disease.
Fatigue, shortness of breath, chest pain, joint aches and "brain fog" - where one's thinking is sluggish - are some commonly described problems that emerge or linger for four weeks or more after an infection.
"The National Centre for Infectious Diseases has been looking at this and has been following up all recovered cases in Singapore's public hospitals, and have also been trying to study this particular issue," said Prof Mak.
The NCID may be ready soon to provide further information on what the prevalence of long Covid syndrome is in Singapore.
Prof Mak said the syndrome reinforces the concern that Covid-19 infection is not something like common seasonal flu.
"There are some patients who have severe outcomes, permanent disabilities to some extent, and these... are not something to underplay."
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