South Australia's health system will expand its capacity to tackle a growing number of long COVID cases, with dedicated clinics established to treat what is now being described by some as a "pandemic" in its own right.
Four clinics for people with long-term effects of the virus have opened across metropolitan Adelaide, at the Royal Adelaide, Queen Elizabeth and Women's and Children's hospitals, and Flinders Medical Centre.
The clinics are designed to help people who are still experiencing significant symptoms three months after infection, such as fatigue, body aches, shortness of breath and brain fog.
Central Adelaide Local Health Network (CALHN) infectious diseases expert Renjy Nelson — who helped to develop the state's long COVID plan — said the condition was defined as having "symptoms at least 12 weeks after the acute infection, lasting for at least two months without an alternative explanation".
"We know there's over 2 to 3 million people around the world who are suffering from long COVID.
"We commonly see people with breathlessness — people who are high achievers who were very fit prior to this now finding themselves not able to climb a flight of stairs."
Dr Nelson said the new clinics included neurologists, neuropsychologists, cardiologists, respiratory physicians, rheumatologists and immunologists.
"We started putting together a group of clinicians when we first started seeing patients from the Ruby Princess who, even six months after their infection, continued to remain unwell," he said.
On Tuesday, SA Health reported 3,683 new infections and the deaths of three women aged from their 70s to their 90s.
There were 222 people in hospital, six of whom were in intensive care and one on a ventilator.
Deputy Chief Public Health Officer Emily Kirkpatrick said the growing prevalence of long COVID should act as a strong incentive for eligible South Australians to get their third vaccine dose.
"We already know from the early data that having three doses of a COVID-19 vaccine will reduce your risk of developing long COVID," she said.
Dr Kirkpatrick encouraged people who were still feeling sick weeks after their initial diagnosis to seek medical advice.
"At the four-to-six week mark after someone has had COVID-19, if they are still having symptoms at that point in time — such as shortness of breath, muscle aches and pains, memory fog, mental health issues — it's important for them to go and see their general practitioner," she said.
Health Minister Chris Picton said GPs would then be able to direct patients to one of the clinics.
"People will be able to refer to these clinics via their general practitioner if after 12 weeks they're still facing significant symptoms," he said.
"This will then enable a single point of contact to be able to help with what could be a wide range of different medical issues they could be facing."
Clinics for long COVID patients have already opened in other parts of Australia, including at public hospitals in Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra.
Investigation launched into 92yo kept in the cold
Mr Picton today announced an investigation into the case of a 92-year-old woman who was forced to wait two hours outside the Lyell McEwin Hospital emergency department on Sunday night.
Maureen Wortley attended the hospital after suffering a fall during a Mother's Day dinner, but was told to wait outside after completing her rapid COVID-19 test.
Other patients have since reported similar experiences.
"We are seeing terrible circumstances, of great-grandmothers being left out in the cold," opposition health spokeswoman Ashton Hurn said today.
Mr Picton said he had asked former national chief medical officer Chris Bagley to investigate the matter.
Asked whether he could guarantee no further patients would be forced to wait outside, Mr Picton said he had been advised that it "would be very, very rare if that was to have to happen" again.
"A standard set of arrangements has now been put in place to keep people safe but also make sure we don't see the shocking scenes we saw on Sunday night," he said.
He said one of the reasons why Ms Wortley had been forced to wait outside the hospital was because of ongoing works at the site that had begun under the previous government but had not been completed on schedule.
The opposition today called on the government to release a plan to battle the combined effects of COVID and influenza on the health system over the coming months.
"We are headed for a double whammy this winter, dealing not only with thousands of COVID cases per day but also with the first full flu season since 2019," Ms Hurn said.
Masks in schools on agenda
South Australia's Emergency Management Council (EMC) met earlier today, with Police Commissioner Grant Stevens indicating his role as state coordinator could come to an end within weeks.
He said it would depend on the passage of the government's bill — on how COVID is managed once the emergency declaration ends — through parliament.
"We'll see how it unfolds, we can't forecast the result of the parliamentary process," he said.
He said the issue of mask wearing in schools would be reviewed at the next EMC meeting.
