Michelle Ananda-Rajah (Higgins, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The sting in the tail of this pandemic is long COVID. We estimate that between five and 30 per cent of people will develop long COVID. As of July this year there may have been up to 400,000 people affected, but numbers are sketchy. The list of symptoms is as long as my arm, and they range from fatigue to brain fog, chest pain and tummy upset. This multitude of mischief relates to this virus invading our blood vessels, which incidentally are throughout our bodies. This makes it a multisystem disease. Who is at risk is not fully understood, but we know that women, people who experienced five or more symptoms during the acute illness and people with pre-existing problems are more at risk.

People living under a cloud of insecurity are particularly vulnerable. For too long, these have included essential workers, minorities, women and young people. Precarious people have a higher risk of exposure to the virus. They may be more vulnerable to poor outcomes because of health problems and often experience different impacts because they have fewer social protections like sick leave, family supports or money. Many people suffering from long COVID have felt unheard by the medical profession. Today we end this testimonial injustice. I am pleased to be part of a parliamentary committee, the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport, that will take long COVID seriously. We want to hear from you. Make a submission. Your leaders are listening.