The risks of long Covid and suffering serious complications from the virus mean Omicron must not be taken lightly. By Nicky Pellegrino
As a wave of Omicron sweeps across New Zealand, there are a lot of unknowns. Even once the present outbreak subsides, no one can say for sure how many of those infected will go on to suffer the lasting effects of long Covid.
Auckland cardiologist Harvey White has already warned that the health system will be under strain from longer-term complications, including cardiovascular disease. And immunologist Anna Brooks is equally concerned that we should be taking this latest variant of Covid-19 very seriously.
At the University of Auckland, she is busy collaborating with international researchers to find out more about long Covid, the post-viral condition that leaves 10-30 per cent of sufferers with ongoing symptoms that include extreme fatigue, shortness of breath, brain fog, dizziness, pain in muscles and joints and a higher risk of heart attack and stroke.
Working closely with New Zealand's long-Covid sufferers, Brooks has been collecting blood samples from the group.
"I've now got over 80 participants, ranging from people who know they've had Covid to some that were in the early waves and didn't get diagnosed. Since then, we have started collecting samples from the Delta wave and will likely see cases in due course, too, from Omicron, which is going to be our biggest wave."
Her plan is to analyse the blood, examining immune cells and various inflammatory proteins, and hopefully help identify the signals of long Covid so that a diagnostic blood test can be developed, as well as therapies.
"We know there is a disruption of the immune system," says Brooks. "And we know that this virus attacks right throughout the body. The lungs and upper airways are just its gateway; it damages and inflames the blood vessels and affects blood flow and the clotting system."
Flurries of micro-clots have been found in the blood of those suffering from long Covid.
"Your blood feeds every part of your body, every system. So, when that is affected, it is going to cause all sorts of problems. If blood isn't circulating properly and is trafficking inflammatory proteins, that may relate to why people feel fatigued, for instance."
Low levels of antibodies called IgM and IgG3 have also been identified in those with long Covid. The theory is that these imbalances in the immune system and the blood-clotting system are intertwined, and behind a confusingly wide range of symptoms.
Even if only a tiny percentage of those who catch Omicron go on to develop long Covid once the initial acute infection has passed, that still translates to a large number of sufferers.
The US is seeing a rise in the number of children diagnosed with post-Covid conditions. And a recent large-scale study with adults in the US showed that those who had tested positive for Covid were 55 per cent more likely to go on to suffer a major adverse cardiovascular event, including heart attack and stroke. These heightened risks were seen even in those who had mild to moderate Covid-19 symptoms initially.
Long Covid is debilitating and can be long-lasting, warns Brooks. "There are people in this country who have had it for two years and they are getting sicker, not better. Some may never recover."
She reports that sufferers in New Zealand have been dismissed by their doctors, told their problem is anxiety and even informed they can't possibly have long Covid, as there isn't any in this country.
Since we don't know how much protection the existing vaccinations give from developing long Covid after an infection with Omicron, Brooks says it is important to do everything possible to avoid catching the virus.
"It would be great if we come out of this in three months' time and we don't have lingering long Covid. I'd be the first to say it's amazing. But we absolutely don't know yet. So, wear a mask, socially distance, get vaccinated, don't actively choose to get infected, do whatever you can to support your immune system."
For those who do catch Omicron despite their best efforts, Brooks' advice is to take it easy.
“We haven’t identified the key triggers of long Covid, and we don’t yet know why the lingering inflammation and damage resolves for some people and not others. So, it’s about rest and listening to your body, rather than trying to soldier on.”
