Every exposure increases the risk of developing 'long Covid', Irish expert warns

People working in health and education have spoken to the 'Irish Examiner' of their suffering with long Covid as the EU recommends Covid be recognised as an occupational disease in those sectors. Stock picture

Each time a person contracts Covid-19 is "a roll of the dice", with the risk of developing long-term effects increasing the more times someone is exposed, a leading expert has warned.

Professor Seamus Linnane of the Beacon Hospital in Dublin has worked with patients suffering with so-called long Covid since early in the pandemic. Despite milder infections caused by Omicron, he continues to see new patients arriving to the clinics.

Referring to a recent study on long Covid risks, he said it is now clearer that “repeated Covid infections increase your risk of getting long Covid.” 

The World Health Organization (WHO) raised this study as a concern just a few days ago.

“What the WHO appear to be talking about was that, let’s say you get Covid, you don’t have any problems thereafter, you get Covid again, you don’t have any problems, then you get it again and you get long Covid,” Mr Linnane said.

“They were suggesting that the more times you get Covid, the greater the chance you have of having long Covid.”

He cautioned people against being complacent just because their first infection was mild.

“There are a number of concerns for the forthcoming winter season. There is the worry we will have a winter Covid surge,” he said. “And I think there is a worry about other respiratory viruses.” 

Prof Seamus Linnane urged anyone who suspects they have long Covid to have this assessed. Picture: BeaconHospital.ie

During the pandemic, there was a 55% reduction in non-Covid respiratory infections, he said.

The clinic at the Beacon Hospital is also treating people who became infected for a second time while still being treated for long-term symptoms from an previous infection.

“We were worried that people with long Covid who get Covid again would go back to zero, but actually, and it is important to state this, that is not happening,” he said.

He has found while these patients have a very unpleasant time with the second infection, it does not worsen their existing long-term symptoms.

He urged anyone who suspects they have long Covid to have this assessed, saying they have at times found other conditions including heart problems were leading to breathlessness. These can then be treated.

A nurse and a teacher describe their long Covid

Among the long Covid sufferers are nurses, teachers, and other workers deemed as essential who got sick while at work.

'I never understood the term fatigue until I got Covid, to be totally honest,' one nurse told the 'Irish Examiner'. Stock picture: Stockbyte

One nurse in Cork, who did not wish to be identified, said she was infected during a night shift in early January last year.

“I never understood the term fatigue until I got Covid, to be totally honest,” she said. "I never understood how absolutely crippling fatigue can be:  

Day-to-day living, even going shopping, taking a shower, or just being in the house sometimes — it is absolutely crippling.  

She also has brain fog, a common long Covid condition which has affected her memory and focus.

“I wouldn’t trust myself with patients at the moment, and that is being totally honest,” she said.

A teacher in Dublin, who also did not wish to be identified, said she got the virus at work in April last year, while waiting for her age group to qualify for vaccines.

“I went from being multitasking and energetic to literally being wheelchair-bound and having to get my partner to push the wheelchair,” she said.

She has been diagnosed with post-Covid-fibromyalgia, and has ongoing heart problems.

She is using a stick now instead of the wheelchair, but said: 

I have been in pain every day and night for 14 months now. 

Public sector workers with long Covid have been on full pay under the Covid special leave with pay scheme, but this ended on Thursday with normal sick pay rules resuming.

These women told the Irish Examiner this decision has caused fear among people still unable to work — and resentment, as they see this as a workplace injury.

Last month the EU Commission agreed to recognise Covid-19 as an occupational disease in various sectors, and supported an update of the EU list of occupational diseases.

EU members were recommended to recognise this updated list, but it is not mandatory, although some have done so already.