(It's Going to Be) A Long, Long Time?

There's natural euphoria, in some places, about the success of Covid-19 vaccination programmes. Data from the UK Office for National Statistics (ONS) suggests, however, there will be a big post-vaccination problem (https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/apr/01/long-covid-snapshot-poll-finds-million-people-symptoms-uk). An ONS survey found, that more than one million UK people experienced the effects of 'Long Covid'. These were people who still had symptoms, 3 or more months after 'recovering' from an infection with Sars-CoV-2. The symptoms are very variable but commonly include fatigue, muscle pain and difficulties in concentrating. One fifth of the respondents claimed to be affected to a considerable degree. 'Long Covid' is likely to remain as a considerable drain on health services, even when the incidence of Covid-19 infections declines. It is, consequently, very important, to protect the bulk of populations, as fast as possible (before they get infected). We clearly need to understand 'Long Covid' much better and to be able to offer effective treatments for patients with this condition. Returning to work or study, well might prove difficult for some people who develop this condition.