TORONTO — Tens of thousands of people in Ontario are experiencing post-COVID-19 symptoms, a science advisory group said Tuesday, calling for more research on the condition and its potential burden on the health-care system.
The Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table, which provides guidance to the province on the pandemic, said the symptoms of so-called long COVID can last from weeks to months after contracting the virus.
“The literature on the post-COVID-19 condition is still largely in a formative phase and more controlled studies are needed,” the group said in a science brief.
A conservative estimate suggests between 57,000 and 78,000 Ontarians had or are currently experiencing long COVID symptoms, the brief said.
The most common of more than 200 different symptoms include fatigue, shortness of breath, general pain or discomfort, anxiety and depression.
The group said individuals experiencing such symptoms have difficulty performing daily activities and require increased health-care resources.
“The post-COVID-19 condition has substantial potential harms for patients, caregivers, health systems and society,” the brief stated.
The World Health Organization has reported that approximately one in four individuals who were infected with COVID-19 experience symptoms of long COVID for at least one month. Meanwhile, one in 10 people experience symptoms that last beyond 12 weeks.
The Ontario science advisory group said more research is needed on risk factors for long COVID. Vaccination reduces the chance of developing the post-COVID-19 condition, the group said.
To date, nearly 84.5 per cent of Ontarians over the age of 12 have one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 78.2 per cent have two doses.
There is limited Canadian data on health-care use patterns for patients with long COVID, including emergency department visits and hospital admissions, the science group said. A pan-Canadian study is currently being done to examine these patterns for long COVID-19 patients.