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March 29, 2023: Long Covid – It Could Happen to You


A conversation about Long Covid with Dr. Ric Arseneau, Internal Medicine specialist and BC Physician Lead of the Provincial ECHO Education Program for Long Covid, and Dr. Susan Kuo, a Richmond family physician and member of Protect Our Province BC.

Long Covid is a serious and increasingly prevalent condition. According to Statistics Canada, as of last August 2022 it affected 1.4 million in Canada, or 15% of adult infected Canadians.  This condition not only impacts individuals and our health system but also the labour pool and Canada’s economy. The Canadian government recently issued a report warning of the repercussion of Long Covid. In the UK, economists are also sounding the alarm of Long Covid and its toll on the labor supply and the need for employment protection and financial support.

Despite these official warnings, Canadians experiencing Long Covid still face not only challenges finding medical advice and treatment but even stigma and disbelief that their condition is real.

“It’s not uncommon for Long Covid patients who are being gaslit to wonder whether they are crazy – they’ve never had anybody acknowledge that their symptoms are real,” says internal medicine physician and UBC clinical professor Dr. Ric Arseneau.  He fears many healthcare providers are ignoring the distinction between “there is nothing wrong with you” with “we haven’t found anything yet.”

It’s estimated that 10% of people infected with Covid will develop Long Covid. With almost 80% of British Columbians having been infected with Covid, this would mean at any point in time, close to 500,000 people in BC have symptoms lasting longer than 3 months. 

Dr. Susan Kuo says that “as a family doctor in BC, I can say that we’re seeing Covid and Long Covid cases all the time now, and in all age groups. To be closing BC’s Long Covid Clinics at this time makes no sense to me. Remember, not everyone has a family doctor.”

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Archived Briefings from Protect Our Province BC

To the right of the image, a profile view of a very advanced pregnant abdomen with the pregnant person's left hand resting on the side of the belly. To the left, text that reads:
“COVID-19 vaccination is safe during pregnancy and may protect newborns from infection, especially if vaccines are given in the second or third trimester. This is similar to what we are already doing with other maternal vaccines, including TDaP and seasonal influenza.” – Dr. Eastabrook
Image shows a large COVID viral particle (dark pink colour) being pulled by a tiny human with a tight rope, along a hill. Grey clouds in the background with the hill depicted in black. Logo of PoP BC is in the lower left corner.
“If we had an epidemic of people with broken limbs and we saw people in plasters and crutches, it would be more evident. But there is a lot of disability that is happening, which is a hidden disability often, which is why we need to talk about it more, for people to understand what the consequences are. And that will help to make better decisions.” – Lynette
The standard PoP BC mountain background with the PoP logo and the text:
“If we had an epidemic of people with broken limbs and we saw people in plasters and crutches, it would be more evident. But there is a lot of disability that is happening, which is a hidden disability often, which is why we need to talk about it more, for people to understand what the consequences are. And that will help to make better decisions.” – Lynette

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