New research has unveiled that long COVID inflicted a staggering $10 billion hit on the Australian economy within just a single year. The study, published in ‘The Medical Journal of Australia’, underscores the urgent need for the federal government to prioritise long COVID as a major health concern.
Conducted by scientists from the University of Melbourne, the Australian National University, and the University of New South Wales (UNSW), the research found that approximately 100 million working hours were lost in 2022 due to long COVID symptoms.
This disruption translated into an economic impact of around $9.6 billion, accounting for roughly a quarter of Australia’s real GDP growth for that year. Notably, this figure does not include additional economic losses from healthy individuals who were unable to work due to caregiving responsibilities for those with long COVID.
Long COVID, a condition resulting from SARS-CoV-2, presents a range of persistent symptoms including shortness of breath, heavy coughing, fatigue, “brain fog,” and sleep disturbances. These symptoms can last for weeks or even months.
University of Melbourne Professor Tom Kompas highlighted that workers aged 30 to 49 were the most economically affected, contributing to a loss of 52 million work hours, which represents over 50 percent of the total productivity loss in 2022.
The research estimates that between 310,000 and 1.3 million Australians were living with long COVID as of September 2022. By December of the same year, this number is projected to range between 173,000 and 873,000.
Professor Raina MacIntyre from UNSW, the senior author of the study, emphasised the need for enhanced support for individuals struggling with long COVID. “Providing financial assistance, such as access to disability pensions for those unable to work due to their symptoms, would help alleviate their economic burden,” she said.
The findings come ahead of a federal inquiry set to report next month on the Commonwealth’s response to the pandemic. The study’s results make a compelling case for increased government intervention and support to address the ongoing economic and health challenges posed by long COVID.
