Chief science advisor Mona Nemer speaks during a news conference, Thursday, April 23, 2020 in Ottawa. Nemer released the recommendations of a taskforce established in the summer to respond to post-COVID condition, or long-COVID, today ahead of the release of her full report. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
OTTAWA – Canada’s chief science adviser is encouraging the government to develop a list of criteria to diagnose long-COVID and guidelines for doctors to treat it.
Mona Nemer released the recommendations today from a task force that was established in the summer to respond to post-COVID-19 condition, or long-COVID.
Nemer says as of August, about 15 per cent of adults who’ve had COVID-19 experience symptoms three months or more after their initial infection.
For now, there is no consensus on the definition of the condition or how to diagnose and treat it.
The 18 recommendations include strategies to identify and treat patients, track them, research the condition and prevent infections.
The Liberal government’s last budget included $20 million over five years to research the long-term impact of COVID-19 infections on Canadians, as well as the wider impact of the pandemic on health-care systems.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 14, 2022.
