Hebert was diagnosed in August 2021 as having long COVID, which refers to COVID-19 symptoms that persist well beyond two weeks — the time by which most people have recovered from the disease.
With concerns being raised about the Omicron variant fuelling a spike in long COVID cases, health experts say Quebec does not have the resources to help people like Hebert or the many others who have survived the disease but remain seriously injured.Dr.
Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health officer, said last July that up to half of COVID-19 patients continued to experience symptoms 12 weeks after diagnosis.
The symptoms can include memory loss, extreme fatigue, general pain, sleep disturbances, shortness of breath and anxiety.Quebec health authorities estimate that up to two million people have been infected by the Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus since December.