Tens of thousands of Dutch still have Covid symptoms months later
Tens of thousands of Netherlands residents are still struggling with serious symptoms and complaints months after a coronavirus infection. These include many people between the ages of 20 and 60 who were not hospitalized with Covid-19. Doctors are increasingly concerned about the long-term health damage of this virus, AD reported after speaking to doctors.
Physiotherapists association KNGF told the newspaper that physios are currently treating at least 28 thousand people who are still struggling with complaints months after getting Covid-19. 54 percent of them are younger than 55 years.
GP association NHG estimates that so far there are 40 thousand such patients, and that mostly doesn't include the second wave of infections. "In my practice I have ten people with such a long aftermath," Jako Burgers of the association said to the newspaper. "There are 5 thousand GP practices, suppose they all have eight. Then you're on 40 thousand people. I think that is a realistic estimate, which is also supported by international research."
Up to November, Dutch health insurers reimbursed over 1,100 people for restorative care from the basic health insurance package, and said that the number of people using it continues to grow. The government's C-support foundation so far had 1,300 people registering for help. The foundation is meant to support people who are still not well after three months.
Doctors register a wide variety of long-term symptoms. Severe fatigue and concentration problems are very common. "Some people are very tired, short of breath, and have conditional problems. There are also people with pain or neurological complaints," pulmonologist Bram van den Borst, lead physician at the Covid-19 aftercare clinic at Radboudumc in Nijmegen, said to AD. "But what makes these people have complaints for so long? That is the big question we would like an answer to."
