Long Covid: The risk increases with each infection

It is now proven that the risk increases cumulatively with each infection, especially if there is still damage from the previous infection “and the subsequent ones are already on top of it,” says Kathryn Hoffmann, head of the Department of Primary Care. at meduni Vienna.

Our society is permanently sick
On average, you can become infected with different corona variants two to three times a year. Every time there is a ten percent chance of Long Covid. Transparent and understandable protective measures are therefore necessary to return to a society that is not permanently ill, according to Hoffmann.

In Britain and the US, the many long-term failures caused by Long Covid are already making headlines. In Austria, the number of sick people and sick leave days simultaneously increases from year to year, but unfortunately there is a complete lack of informative data from Austria about Long Covid.

Huge economic damage
The high number of infections also led to major economic damage. The constant absenteeism and the consequences of Long-Covid took their toll on the economy in the long term. It is not just about complete failures, but also about the disruption of society after only mild infections.

Clean air and high-quality masks
Because SARS-CoV-2 is an airborne virus, immediate “measures must be taken to ensure clean indoor air,” Hoffmann calls for. Especially in kindergartens and schools. The same applies to public transport, open-plan offices and healthcare.

Until then, ‘high-quality masks’ are also needed, especially in healthcare and in public transport – and the ability to obtain accessible, good testing options and medicines in the event of illness. As an example, Hoffmann pointed to New York, which currently offers free PCR testing options.