Doctor criticizes study suggesting Long Covid poses a larger disability burden than CANCER – Shiv Telegram Media
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New Study Suggests Long Covid May Be More Debilitating than Cancer
A new study published in Nature Medicine has suggested that long Covid, a condition where individuals experience symptoms for an extended period after recovering from Covid-19, may be more debilitating than cancer. The research found that long Covid increases the risk of heart problems, blood clots, diabetes, memory problems, fatigue, and mental health issues.
The study compared the number of days that long Covid patients lived with debilitating symptoms to the number of days cancer and heart disease patients experienced symptoms on average. The researchers concluded that long Covid causes a “greater burden of disability” than cancer and heart disease.
However, a doctor who was not involved in the research has called this assertion “irresponsible” and pointed out several shortcomings in the study. The doctor emphasized that there are diseases that are deadlier, more debilitating, and affect a larger portion of the population, such as obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it is estimated that one in 13 American adults has long Covid, equivalent to more than 16.5 million people. However, these estimates have been disputed by experts who argue that the symptoms of long Covid are often non-specific and could be attributed to other common conditions.
The study analyzed the medical records of 140,000 veterans who survived Covid and developed long Covid symptoms, comparing them to six million veterans who had not been infected. The researchers determined the risk of developing complications associated with long Covid using a measurement called a disability-adjusted life year (DALY), which represents one year of disability.
The study found that long Covid generated more than 80 DALYs per 1,000 veterans, while heart disease and cancer resulted in 52 and 50 DALYs per 1,000, respectively. The study suggests that these findings could help address long-term care needs for long Covid patients.
However, critics argue that comparing long Covid to cancer is irresponsible because cancer encompasses various diseases with different severity levels. Additionally, the study only included veterans, who are already predisposed to physical and mental health issues, which may affect the generalizability of the results. Furthermore, the study did not include a diverse population in terms of age, sex, or race.
It is important to note that the study only looked at Covid cases in 2020, before the emergence of new strains and the availability of vaccines and therapies. There is still debate about the true scale and severity of long Covid, with some studies suggesting that people who develop the condition would have experienced similar symptoms regardless of a Covid infection.
The CDC has reported that more than 3,500 Americans have died from long Covid-related conditions, including Covid itself, heart disease, cancer, chronic lower respiratory disease, and Alzheimer’s. As the understanding of long Covid continues to evolve, further research is needed to fully comprehend the impact of this condition on individuals’ lives and healthcare systems worldwide.
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