Long Covid: the lasting legacy of the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic left more than 65 million people around the world with Long Covid -- a chronic multisystemic illness that can affect nearly every organ system. This talk will provide an overview of Long Covid, its effects on various organ systems (heart, brain, kidneys, gastrointestinal and metabolic systems); review the effects of vaccination, antivirals, and reinfection on Long Covid and discuss the implications for individuals, health systems, the economy, and future pandemic preparedness.

About Prof Ziyad Al-Aly

Dr. Al-Aly a physician-scientist; he directs the Clinical Epidemiology Center and serves as the Chief of Research and Development Service at the VA Saint Louis Health Care System. He is a senior clinical epidemiologist at Washington University in Saint Louis. He has several research interests including pharmacoepidemiology, environmental epidemiology, global health, and most recently short- and long-term effects of COVID-19 on health outcomes.

He led work which provided systematic characterization of the post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (also called Long Covid) and subsequently characterization of the increased risks of cardiovascular disease, neurologic disorders, diabetes, dyslipidemia, kidney disease, and gastrointestinal disorders following SARS-CoV-2 infection. His laboratory was the first to produce evidence characterizing the effects of vaccines on Long Covid, the health consequences of repeated infections with SARS-CoV-2, and the effect of antivirals on the short- and long-term outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Location: Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, Seminar Room 515, L5, 207 Bouverie Street, Carlton VIC 3053 or via zoom