High levels of stigma experienced by COVID-19 survivors last longer, Alberta research shows Globalnews.ca

In addition to lingering symptoms, job loss, decreased physical function and quality of life, some COVID-19 long walkers experience higher levels of stigma, New research from Edmonton clinic shows,

Specialists working in the patients started telling Long COVID Clinic of Edmonton His run-in with Kalank as soon as the facility started in June 2020. Experts later created a survey to explore the issue of stigma.

The survey was completed by 145 patients and cross-referenced with information from their medical records, including six-minute walk distance, clinical frailty score, number of comorbidities and number of hospital visits.

The research found stigma scores were higher among women, Caucasians and those with less educational opportunities.

The overall mean stigma score was 103 out of 200, or approximately 4/10, where 0/10 indicates no stigma and 10/10 severe stigma.

Patients with higher stigma scores were more likely to have more severe symptoms, anxiety, depression, low self-esteem and thoughts of self-harm, and were more likely to be unemployed due to disability.

“People said they were not allowed to return to work, ostracized from friends and family, subjected to unnecessary and abusive infection control measures, accused of being lazy or weak, or faked symptoms,” Told Ron Damant, in professor Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry.

“People who are suffering from COVID for a long time, they are not faking it, they are not weak, there is no need to treat them like they have got some infectious disease,” Damant said.

“Misinformation, stereotypes, labeling just perpetuate stigma, so we need to challenge it,” he said.

2:56
Health Matters: The stigma of long COVID and pregnant cancer patient update

While Damant acknowledges that the sample size for the study was relatively small, he says the results are important because this is one of the first quantitative examinations of stigma in long-lived COVID patients. He hopes to refine the questionnaire and test it in other countries.

“I hope that, through increased health literacy and awareness, people will become more empathetic and open-minded,” he said.

According to Statistics Canada, about 15 percent of Canadians – Nearly 1.4 million people so far – report prolonged COVID symptoms, now called COVID-19 status posted by the World Health Organization,

Daisy Fung participated in the Alberta Stigma Study. Fung, a family medicine physician and assistant clinical professor at the Kaye Edmonton Clinic, was infected with COVID-19 in March 2020. She is still experiencing post-exertion fatigue and muscle aches. she’s been Post-COVID myalgic encephalomyelitis diagnosed,

Fung, a mother of four and community volunteer, had to cut back on her work hours, reduce teaching, give up volunteer activities and avoid physical activity as her condition worsened.

“I’ve gotten a lot of comments asking: ‘Why do mainly women get it? Or only ‘well-doing’ women?’ Which is a very wrong statement,” Fung said.

“It felt accusatory, whether it was mental health or malice or jealousy, a lot of things that are not true.”

3:29
Talk to your kids about COVID-19 without fear or stigma

Fung found the study results reassuring, proving that stigma related to the disease is happening.

The experience has also given her a new perspective when working with her patients.

“It has been a struggle, a learning curve, that has helped me advocate for other patients who may have chronic disease, including prolonged COVID and especially myalgic encephalomyelitis, that has been ignored for decades , and I hope they benefit,” she said.

“Kindness can help mitigate the harm.”

The clinic and survey are supported by the University of Alberta and Alberta Health Services.

&copy 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.