U of M researcher says Manitoba needs a 'long COVID' strategy in place.

A group of Manitoba researchers are calling for a strategy to address ‘long COVID’, a condition that could impact thousands of Manitobans for years to come.

Patty Thille, Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy at the University of Manitoba, said based on early data, between 10 and 30 per cent of people who catch COVID develop long term symptoms including fatigue, and chronic shortness of breath.

“Muscle pain, difficulty concentrating, and related cognitive functioning, so ‘brain fog’ would be a term that people use,” said Thille.

While resources are available for Manitobans with ‘long COVID’, Thille said a stronger healthcare framework needs to be put in place.

“We are at that place where that coordinated, integrated system where people know how to get services, and where people throughout the province can get similar levels of quality of care does not yet exist,” Said Thille.

She said her research group found Alberta and Saskatchewan are the only provinces with ‘long COVID’ strategies currently in place.

‘Long COVID’ is a new type of condition and Thille said it’s a diagnosis that’s hard to get.

“That in itself is a barrier to access, so one of the first barriers that we’re going to have to deal with is improving awareness around (Long COVID), and it part that can be done through policy, and developing the services so people can access them.”

Thille said there are rehab professionals creating programs for ‘long COVID’, but the issue is going to be funding and staffing them, and additional resources are needed to get these programs off the ground.