{"id":5536,"date":"2021-08-10T09:20:06","date_gmt":"2021-08-10T07:20:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/disabilityconnect.co.za\/?p=5536"},"modified":"2021-08-10T09:20:06","modified_gmt":"2021-08-10T07:20:06","slug":"the-effects-of-long-covid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.disabilityconnectexpo.com\/index.php\/2021\/08\/10\/the-effects-of-long-covid\/","title":{"rendered":"The effects of Long covid"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flu symptoms, body aches, fatigue and an inability to smell were the first signs of Thandi\u2019s Covid infection in May last year. Even without the positive test result, she knew she\u2019d been hit hard by the virus. She describes the fatigue as \u201cnext level\u201d, turning simple daily activities like showering, dressing and walking around her home into tasks requiring momentous effort. The pain in her joints and muscles made every waking hour difficult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEverything hurts \u2212 your muscles, your joints, everything,\u201d\u2018 says Thandi. The pain and the severe shortness of breath and chronic coughing left her unable to work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Back in May 2020, doctors knew that Covid could make you sick for a week or two, so Thandi took two weeks\u2019 sick leave and rested. At the end of that period, her symptoms were no better. Still unable to return to her job at the large legal firm she works for, she took another two weeks off to give her weakened body more time to heal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the end of her fourth week of sick leave, still suffering terrible muscle and joint pain, fatigue and shortness of breath, Thandi had to  return to work. She had no sick leave left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At this point, she had no idea that her battle withCovid-19 \u2013 had only just begun. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is Long Covid?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLong Covid\u201d is not a medical term. It\u2019s actually a patient-created term first used on social media in May 2020 after which it was widely adopted. It refers to the duration of time a person suffers with debilitating symptoms caused by Covid-19. Those who are still experiencing symptoms three months after testing positive, are said to have Long Covid. They\u2019re also increasingly known as \u201clong-haulers\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c76% of Covid-19 patients who were hospitalised in Wuhan, China, still had at least one symptom six months after getting sick.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the Independent<\/em><\/a>, the condition is more prevalent than first thought, with one in 10 patients experiencing debilitating symptoms three months after infection. The newspaper reports that \u201cmany were also suffering from poor quality of life compared to the rest of the population \u2013 struggling to carry out daily tasks such as washing, dressing or working.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Business Insider South Africa<\/em><\/a> recently shared data from a study published <\/a>in The Lancet<\/em>, which found that \u201c76% of Covid-19 patients who were hospitalised in Wuhan, China, still had at least one symptom six months after getting sick\u201d. This trend appears to be emerging across the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Physical And Emotional Toll<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One reasons Covid-19 patients may be so debilitating is because the immune system goes into overdrive. This reaction can cause damage to a number of vital organs, including the kidneys, brain, lungs and heart. But the damage is not only physical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The inability to perform basic tasks is both depressing and frustrating. Thandi shares that she carries an enormous burden of guilt because she\u2019s no longer able to do much of the housework or childcare. Her husband Chris, who also works full-time, now does the lion\u2019s share.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Survivor\u2019s guilt is another burden she carries. Thandi says: \u201cPeople are dying every day, and you \u2018made it through\u2019. People expect you to be happy and making the most of every day after your ordeal. When they ask how you\u2019re feeling, you don\u2019t feel able to tell the truth \u2013 that you are suffering \u2013 because you know people expect you to feel so grateful. You can\u2019t complain that you are in pain and don\u2019t have enough energy to make it through a shower without having to take a rest to catch your breath.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Long Covid patients, there is no \u201cafter the ordeal\u201d. They are living it for months after their positive test and it affects their lives personally and professionally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Does This Mean For Employers?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The difficulty for everyone is that there is no data on how long these symptoms will affect an employee\u2019s ability to do their job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An article by UK-based commercial lawyer Makbool Javaid for The HR Director<\/a> states: \u201cEmployers with staff who are suffering from Long Covid should be mindful of the possibility that they may have a disability, depending on the severity and duration of the effects. This means that treating a Long Covid sufferer less favourably because they have Long Covid or, for example, have high levels of sickness absence or are unable to fully fulfil the requirements of their role, could amount to direct disability discrimination or discrimination arising from a disability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor employees with Long Covid, potential adjustments might, for instance, include adjusting working hours or allowing individuals to continue working from home after lockdown.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c\u2026treating a Long Covid sufferer less favourably because they have Long Covid or, for example, have high levels of sickness absence or are unable to fully fulfil the requirements of their role, could amount to direct disability discrimination or discrimination arising from a disability.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Could Long Covid Be Classified A Disability Under The Terms Of The South African Employment Equity Act?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Long Covid is now a medical condition, but it is not yet classified as a disability because there is no data on just how long patients will experience symptoms. Scientists are collecting the data in real time, and so only time will give us the information we need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Employment Equity Act states that \u201cpeople with disabilities are those who have a long-term or recurring physical or mental impairment which substantially limits their prospects of entry into, or advancement in, employment\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Criteria For Determining If A Person Has A Disability<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

According the the SAHRC Disability Toolkit<\/a>, \u201cthe Department of Labour\u2019s Technical Assistance Guideline (TAG) outlines three basic qualifying criteria to determine if a person has a disability. There must be an impairment, the impairment must be substantially limiting, and the impairment must be long-term or recurring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Considering these three criteria, Long Covid seems to meet the first and second, but, we will only know how long-term or recurring the condition is in the months and years to come. But until then, here are some steps employees and employers can take to enable those with Long Covid to remain in the workforce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Employees Should Do<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
  1. Get tested if you feel unwell or even if you are sure you have the virus. If you don\u2019t have a positive test result, you may find yourself unable to claim benefits or adequate sick leave in the future.<\/li>
  2. Be honest with your employer about your positive test result immediately, and self isolate.<\/li>
  3. Let your HR department know if some symptoms remain beyond the first month and ensure that you get a doctor\u2019s note if you need to take more time off.<\/li>
  4. If your symptoms persist, talk to your HR department about the possibility of working fewer hours or working from home so that you rest when you need it and catch up the hours when you feel stronger.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    What Employers Should Do<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
    1. Keep in contact with employees who have tested positive and, as far as possible, ensure that they are able to take time off to recover without being contacted by other staff members about work matters.<\/li>
    2. When they return to work, consider flexi-time for a week or two as they make the adjustment.<\/li>
    3. If a staff members is experiencing long-term symptoms that are affecting their ability to function normally, everyone may benefit if they work from home. This would enable them to do their work in the hours in which they feel well and rest when they don\u2019t. Obviously, this will not be possible in every industry, but many companies are able to offer this option.<\/li>
    4. If a staff member is unable to work and they need to leave the company, be sure to follow the correct HR procedures.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      Companies should deal with Long Covid as they do any other medical condition. There cannot be a one-size-fits-all approach. HR and management need to look at each employee\u2019s situation on a case-by-case basis to identify what kind of support is needed to help that staff member to do their job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      We\u2019ve all realised that this virus is not going away any time soon, so both employers and employees need to do their bit to manage the impact responsibly and fairly.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Flu symptoms, body aches, fatigue and an inability to smell were the first signs of Thandi\u2019s Covid infection in May last year. Even without the positive test result, she knew she\u2019d been hit hard by the virus. She describes the fatigue as \u201cnext level\u201d, turning simple daily activities like showering, dressing and walking around her […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5539,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[37,35],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5536","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-focus","category-in-the-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.disabilityconnectexpo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5536","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.disabilityconnectexpo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.disabilityconnectexpo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.disabilityconnectexpo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.disabilityconnectexpo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5536"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dev.disabilityconnectexpo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5536\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.disabilityconnectexpo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5539"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dev.disabilityconnectexpo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5536"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.disabilityconnectexpo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5536"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dev.disabilityconnectexpo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5536"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}