Modelling shows the scale and impact of Long COVID

The likely scale and severity of Long COVID in Australia has been researched by Professor Martin Hensher from Menzies and Deakin University’s Institute for Health Transformation.

The researchers used three different models to estimate how many Australians might be expected to have Long COVID symptoms at the beginning of December 2022, given how many COVID infections have been reported to date.

The report provides estimates for the country as a whole and for each state and territory.

The models suggest that a minimum of 160,000 Australians will be experiencing Long COVID in early December last year, more than 35,000 of whom will find their daily lives significantly impacted by illness. It is, however, very likely that more than 500,000 people will have Long COVID symptoms, and that more than 110,000 of them will suffer significant impacts from their symptoms.

Lead author Professor Martin Hensher said it was time for the Australian

Government to listen to health professionals and act on the recommendations given.

“It is likely that several tens of thousands of Australian adults will be unable to work due to Long COVID,” he said.

“This will not only have a detrimental impact on the health and wellbeing of our country, but many flow-on effects to the economy.”

The report makes a range of policy recommendations on surveillance and data, healthcare needs, employment and social protection policies, prevention and control, and research.

Annual event celebrates valued volunteers

National Volunteer Week is an annual celebration of volunteering, which this year will be held from May 15-21.

For more than 30 years, the Menzies Institute for Medical Research Volunteer Program has played an important role in the delivery of our programs.

We currently have over 150 volunteers registered on a variety of projects throughout the Institute. This year’s theme is Change Makers and there is no better way to describe volunteering at Menzies.

We’re fortunate to be able to call on the skills, knowledge, and goodwill of volunteers to help us create positive change in groundbreaking research. Research grant funding often falls short of the full costs of running a project, and volunteer support helps Menzies’ researchers to carry out work that may not otherwise be possible. ed by S ignifican T new gran T funding

On Thursday, May 18, we will be inviting our current volunteers to a morning tea with the Director and key staff to say thank you. We’ll celebrate and acknowledge the important contribution volunteers make to internationally significant medical research, leading to healthier, longer and better lives for all Tasmanians.

Congratulations to Dr Nicholas Blackburn, Dr Bennet McComish, Alice Saul and Professor Bruce Taylor of our MS Research Flagship who were among the recipients of 22 grants awarded by MS Australia in its latest funding round for multiple sclerosis (MS) research.

The grants bring $819,000 funding to our MS Research Flagship to continue our muchneeded MS research.

Dr McComish was also awarded a National Health and Medical Research Council Ideas Grant for