DECEMBER 29 — As of December 29, 2020, Malaysia has had a total of 108,615 cases of Covid-19. While the number of new cases daily continue to cause some level of concern among the public, we appear to have taken comfort in the fact that only 457 people have died of Covid-19, while 86,715 people infected with Covid-19 have recovered.
Covid-19, however, is not a disease where one either dies or recovers smoothly from. What seems to be missing from the public consciousness is the fact that Covid-19 can and often causes many severe symptoms. These symptoms can also afflict a person for a long time. This phenomenon has since been termed as “Long Covid”, where people who have survived past the acute phase of Covid-19 continue to suffer from the disease for weeks and months.
It is currently unknown exactly how many survivors of Covid-19 experience “Long Covid”. A team of researchers in Italy reported in thethat nearly nine in 10 patients continued to experience at least one symptom of Covid-19 60 days after the onset of the disease. On the lower end, a study claims that one in 10 patients continue to be sick for three weeks or longer. What is clear, however, is that the symptoms experienced can significantly impact the health of “Long Covid” survivors.
There are two large reasons why we need to be aware that Covid-19 isn’t simply a disease that you either die of or recover from, and that “Long Covid” exists. Firstly, we need to be more vigilant in protecting ourselves and everyone from Covid-19 as there can be tremendous suffering experienced even if one survives the disease. Secondly, we have to recognise that the survivors of Covid-19 may have long-term healthcare needs, even after being discharged from the hospital.
As we close out the year 2020, it is inevitable that we are all becoming fatigued with Covid-19. The danger of Covid-19 and the suffering that it causes is, however, very real. Please continue to be vigilant, adhere to the SOPs, and let’s keep everyone safe.** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of