Long COVID has led to greater use of strained hospitals, and it could get worse: study – CTV
Oct. 17, 2022
The impact of long COVID-19 on already-strained hospital systems is significant, with patients who were adversely affected by the disease spending extended time in hospital and using emergency resources that are few and far between, according to a new study published Monday.
The care required to meet demand for those with long COVID has implications for Canada’s healthcare system in the near future, as two-and-a-half years into the pandemic, systems are not equipped to meet demand, according to the research published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
With healthcare systems under strain, particularly Ontario’s which is seeing ER closures, long-wait times and staff shortages across the board— the research indicates the more people there are with severe COVID-19 cases, the more stress an already buckling system will be under, said study co-author Dr. Clare Atzema in a phone interview with CTVNews.ca.
