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From: TT
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Photo: Mats Andersson / TT
Åsa Kristoferson Hedlund has been suffering from long-term symptoms since she fell ill with COVID-19 in mid-March. Today, she is president of the Swedish association covid, which publishes a report on chronic diseases. Stock Photography
More resources are needed for patients with long-term symptoms of covid-19, according to the Swedish covid association.
– Society does not really recognize our existence, says President Åsa Kristoferson Hedlund.
To raise awareness, which the Swedish Covid Association believes is too low among Swedish authorities and politicians, the association recently published a report on the long-term problems experienced by patients.
– It is a huge problem that is not talked about. There is a great risk that the problem will be perceived as not existing. And we want to show that it really does, says Åsa Kristoferson Hedlund, president of the Swedish covid association with just over 1,400 members.
Sick leave again
Åsa Kristoferson Hedlund herself has been suffering from long-term symptoms since she fell ill with COVID-19 in mid-March. In September, he began working part-time, but after symptoms worsened, he is now on sick leave again. According to SVT Nyheter’s calculations, 25,000 in Sweden may suffer from long-term symptoms of Covid-19. According to a Novus poll, that number could be significantly higher.
Åsa Kristoferson Hedlund compares the situation in Sweden with the situation in the UK.
– Money has already been set aside there and more than 40 specialized clinics will be opened for the approximately 500,000 long-term patients in the country.
One concrete measure that the Swedish Covid Association wants to see is such receptions opening up in Sweden.
– We want to see more investigations. We know very little about long-term covid at present, says Kristoferson Hedlund.
Final report soon
In a week, the Swedish Agency for Medical and Social Evaluation (SBU) will present its final report on the current state of research on the care of people with long-term symptoms of covid-19. According to Åsa Kristoferson Hedlund, that’s far from enough.
– They will deliver a report that will provide a snapshot. We want to see continuous learning in healthcare.
Tove Fall, professor of molecular epidemiology at Uppsala University, agrees that more research is needed.
– SBU has identified 14 internationally relevant research articles, which is a very small piece of data, so more research is really needed to characterize the condition and for these patients to receive proper treatment and counseling, he says.
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