European Commission to address Long COVID

The European Commission will on Tuesday launch a 2-million-euro project aimed at addressing Long COVID, which had affected 36 million people across Europe in the first three years of the pandemic according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Commission said on Monday, reported Xinhua.

Long COVID has cost the EU economy 0.2 percent to 0.3 percent of gross domestic product in output loss in 2022 due to reduced labour supply, according to the Commission estimate.

The project, which will be funded by EU4Health program, will be managed by the WHO and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

It aims to define Long COVID, develop a surveillance system, promote exchange of information among healthcare professionals and provide clinical guidance to EU member states.

It also aims to support affected patients and carers, assess the consequences of Long COVID and identify research gaps and needs.

The Commission will also create a group on Long COVID for professionals and patients to share their experience.