AMA Submission to Inquiry into Long COVID and Repeated COVID Infections
Long COVID is a serious health issue which we are learning more about every day. A significant clinical challenge with managing Long COVID and/or post-COVID conditions is that we are still at the relative beginning of our experiences and understanding of the condition/s. What is clear is that repeat infections increase risk, as do infections in the unvaccinated.
The pandemic is not over and we still have much to learn about Long COVID. The AMA’s submission to the inquiry recommends that adopting the precautionary principle when it comes to measures to manage Long COVID. To achieve this, the AMA’s key recommendations are:
1. Flexible strategies: Any plans or strategies developed must be flexible in order to adapt to new information as it arrives and to accommodate the specific needs of affected communities.
2. Support the Health System: Long COVID will have impacts on the entire health system. GPs will be on the front line and will need appropriate resourcing to manage the expected increase in patients. GPs cannot be expected to take on this additional burden with no additional resources as they have throughout the pandemic. It will also impact hospitals and aged care which require additional support.
3. Prevention: Australia has moved too quickly to remove safe and effective public health measures which limit the spread of COVID-19. We need to return to a pandemic plan that relies on more than vaccination.
