Yasmina Kattou / Photo credit: MATHIEU THOMASSET / HANS LUCAS / HANS LUCAS VIA AFP
In a report, the health risk monitoring and anticipation committee considers that the care of patients with long Covid is insufficient. Recognition of the syndrome, diagnosis… What are the solutions to improve the care of the two million French people affected?
More than two million French people are affected by long Covid. Covars, the health risk monitoring and anticipation committee, reveals in a report that the care in France for these patients is insufficient and also presents new recommendations.
This first involves recognizing post-Covid syndrome as a real illness and not as something that is in the heads of patients. To do this, doctors must take the time to diagnose. “We have to go back to the clinician’s basics, that is to say, precise questioning,” explains Xavier Lescure, infectious disease specialist and member of Covars.
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“Canadians call it ‘information gathering’ and that’s exactly it. Any somewhat experienced clinician knows that, after a good structured and well-conducted interview, we can make diagnostic hypotheses in the context of long Covid,” adds the infectious disease specialist.
Once the diagnosis has been made, the committee recommends comprehensive care, starting with physical rehabilitation, so that people can return to professional activity, for example, accompanied by psychological support. Finally, in the current context of shortage of doctors, Covars recommends the establishment throughout the territory of reference centers which bring together specialists to simplify the care pathway for patients.