No, COVID-19 cannot be treated like the flu.We have to consider the permanent health problems it causes

We hope that the vaccine will allow many people to live with some degree of infection without becoming seriously ill or dying.

However, death and hospitalization are not the only consequences of COVID-19 that we need to prevent. Even young people can remain in chronic health problems after infection, according to new studies.

COVID-19 is always a very different illness than influenza. You need to aim to push it out like measles and prevent it from spreading.

Read again: Kappa mutant of Covid-19: 11 cases were detected in Rajasthan, health minister said

Common misconceptions

Many believe that only older people are at risk for COVID-19. Looking at the statistics, it’s easy to see why the misunderstanding arose.

A study of people who were positive for COVID-19 during the second wave in the UK found that only about 1% of children and 2-3% of young adults had to be hospitalized. .. In contrast, more than 10% of people over the age of 60 had to go to the hospital.

The risk of dying from COVID-19 follows a similar pattern. Only 1 in 20,000 infected children can die, compared to more than 1 in 100 adults over the age of 60.

But these numbers don’t tell the whole story. Many people who survived COVID-19 have not returned to their previous health status.

COVID-19 can cause permanent health problems

In a study of people admitted with COVID-19 during the first wave in the UK, these patients were 4 times more likely to be readmitted and 8 times more likely to be readmitted than the corresponding control group over an average follow-up period. It turns out that there is a high probability of death. 4-5 months.

Researchers have found that these people are particularly likely to develop diabetes, heart disease, and kidney disease.

You may still experience complications after getting the flu, but this is more common with COVID-19 and the complications are more serious.

Even people who are ill enough to go to the hospital with COVID-19 can experience complications.

A Sydney study found that one-third of patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 had persistent symptoms, such as fatigue and shortness of breath, that lasted at least two months. Over 10% had pulmonary dysfunction.

This potentially life-changing condition has the long name COVID.

Long COVID also affects young people

The Office for National Statistics estimates that about 1 in 7 people infected with COVID-19 will experience persistent symptoms that last for at least 12 weeks.

They estimate that nearly one million people in the UK now live on long COVIDs, 40% of whom have lived in this state for over a year. Two-thirds report adverse effects on daily activities as a result of long COVIDs, and 18% report very limited.

Although children are very unlikely to die of COVID-19, the National Bureau of Statistics estimates that 7-8% of infected children and adolescents will develop long COVID.

They estimate that 10,000 children and 16,000 adolescents in the UK live on COVID for at least 12 weeks longer.

This condition is so common that the UK National Health Service has opened 15 long COVID clinics for children.

What does this mean for Australia?

COVID-19 is a very different disease from influenza and our resumption plan should ensure that it does not build a foothold in Australia. Alternatives will come with enormous economic and social costs, as many people are likely to have chronic health problems.

By first reaching herd immunity by vaccination, you can work on a safe resumption.

With the advent of more contagious mutants, such as the delta mutant, more than 90% of the population will need to be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity. This is an ambitious goal, but we have already achieved it as part of routine measles vaccination in childhood.

To reach that goal, we need to provide vaccinations to children and adolescents. They also need protection from long COVIDs.

Some suggest that vaccination of adults may be sufficient to reach herd immunity, but Israel has shown that this is not the case. New school-related outbreaks have forced the country to regain mask obligations and strengthen adolescent immunization.

What else do I need to do?

Achieving herd immunity in Australia takes time. Therefore, you need to maintain a strong quarantine system until the work is completed.

In addition, it is necessary to carefully monitor the situation overseas and prepare to deploy a third booster immunization in response to new mutations.

You should also be prepared to provide a third booster of the Pfizer vaccine to those who have been vaccinated with the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Both the AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines are more than 90% effective in preventing serious illness, while the AstraZeneca vaccine is slightly ineffective in preventing overall infection.

I don’t know how well which vaccine will prevent long COVID, but again, the best defense is to get a high level of vaccination in the community.

Inevitably, Australia will have a future outbreak of COVID-19, as in the case of measles. However, the tolerance should be very low for the degree of transmission that is ready to be accepted.

Coronavirus is an aerial virus that is more contagious than influenza and causes more serious illnesses. It’s not a flu-like illness and it never happens.

By Zoe Hyde, Epidemiologist, University of Western Australia