MORE than 60% of Covid-19 patients, who were classified Category 4 or 5, have ‘Long Covid’ symptoms, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said today.

Covid-19 can cause symptoms that last weeks or months after the infection has gone. This is sometimes called post-Covid-19 syndrome or Long Covid.

Khairy said 65.1% of people recuperating from Covid-19 categories 4 and 5 had Long Covid.

“Of this, 61.2% have more than two Long Covid symptoms,” he said in a statement.

Fatigue, cough, difficulty breathing, joint and muscle discomfort, mental fog, skin lesions, and anxiety are all symptoms of Long Covid.

Khairy said the Health Ministry was employing rehabilitative medicine to help patients with Long Covid improve their functionality through diagnosis, healthcare, disability reduction, and complication prevention.

“Since April, a total of 2,798 patients have had rehabilitative medical in-patient treatment for Long Covid, while 6,432 patients have had similar out-patient treatment.

“As many as 30-40% of Long Covid patients have been able to return to work within three months, while 60-70% can return to work within six months of Covid-19 infection,” he said.

As part of a policy to safeguard and treat persons at high risk of catching the virus, Khairy said the ministry would continue to add more resources and equipment to treat and rehabilitate Long Covid cases.

Since the start of the pandemic, 4.46 million people have contracted Covid-19, with 35,584 succumbing to the virus. – May 10, 2022.