Long-haul misery

The risks of long Covid and suffering serious complications from the virus mean Omicron must not be taken lightly.

- Nicky Pellegrino

As a wave of Omicron sweeps across New Zealand, there are a lot of unknowns. Even once the present outbreak subsides, no one can say for sure how many of those infected will go on to suffer the lasting effects of long Covid.

Auckland cardiologist Harvey White has already warned that the health system will be under strain from longer-term complications, including cardiovascular disease. And immunologist Anna Brooks is equally concerned that we should be taking this latest variant of Covid-19 very seriously.

At the University of Auckland, she is busy collaborating with international researchers to find out more about long Covid, the post-viral condition that leaves 10-30% of sufferers with ongoing symptoms that include extreme fatigue, shortness of breath, brain fog, dizziness, pain in muscles and joints and a higher risk of heart attack and stroke.

Working closely with New Zealand’s long-Covid sufferers, Brooks has been collecting blood samples from the group.

“I’ve now got over 80 participants, ranging from people who know they’ve had Covid to some that were in the early waves and didn’t get diagnosed. Since then, we have started collecting samples from the Delta wave and will likely see cases in due course, too, from Omicron, which is going to be our biggest wave.”

Her plan is to analyse the blood, examining immune cells and various inflammatory proteins, and hopefully help identify the signals of long Covid so that a diagnostic blood test can be developed, as well as therapies.