Long Covid dogs 900,000 in HK

More than 900,000 Hongkongers, or 70 percent of the 1.3 million locals who have recovered from Covid-19 infections suffer from "long Covid" symptoms such as fatigue, poor memory, insomnia, breathing difficulties and hair loss four weeks or more after recovery, researchers at Chinese University say.

The analysis was deduced from information provided by 554 people who recovered in earlier research by the university. It found 76 percent suffered from long Covid six months after recovering while 70 percent reported moderate to severe long Covid symptoms.

The university is asking all locals who have recovered to fill in an online questionnaire for the first territory-wide study on the effects of long Covid, with support from the Hospital Authority.

It aims to collect basic information, including date of infection, vaccination status, long Covid symptoms and the impact on daily life from at least 10,000 who have recovered.

Posters with a QR code linked to the questionnaire are on display at Western and Chinese outpatient clinics under the Hospital Authority.

Dean of medicine Francis Chan Ka-leung said long Covid is a pressing global health issue and care is needed.

Long Covid will not only affect health but also have a negative impact on one's relationship with family members, he said, adding that such patients may suffer from mental illness and be in need of timely support to avoid domestic violence or disputes.

Its symptoms, he said, would also affect work performance and hinder Hong Kong's economic recovery.

CUHK researchers had earlier found that the gut microbiome composition may be linked to a person's risk of developing long Covid many months after their initial infection.

The team is also inviting 1,000 recovered patients to volunteer in a study to provide stool samples for analysis.

Ng Siew-chien from the department of medicine and therapeutics said researchers have previously identified unique gut microbiome profiles associated with long Covid.

"The information from this survey could play a pivotal role in developing diagnostic tests and finding tailored treatments for patients who remain sick months after contracting Covid-19," she said.