Investigating Long COVID's Impact in Australia with Dr. Mark Donohoe

Have you ever wondered about the stark realities of long COVID?

We unpack this pressing issue with Dr Mark Donohoe, a renowned integrative GP and president of ACNEM, the Australasian College of Nutritional and Environmental Medicine.

Our candid conversation touches on the 2023 ACNEM conference, traversing the terrain of long COVID's prevalence and contrasting the official figures with the real-life situation.

Prepare for a sobering deep-dive into long COVID's impact in Australia. Dr. Donohoe sheds light on the staggering statistics, indicating that 1 in 50 Australians grapple with long COVID. That's about half a million people, and the number isn't dwindling. This episode will leave you with profound insights into the pandemic's long-standing effects on our health. So, if you want a fresh perspective on this ongoing health crisis, this discussion is a must-listen.

About Dr Donohoe
Dr Donohoe has worked in the field of MS/CFS for over 35 years and is considered one of Australia's leading practitioners in this area. He is currently President of the Australasian College of Nutritional & Environmental Medicine (ACNEM).

Dr Donohoe sees patients from around Australia and overseas with complex illnesses, including chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), .myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), fibromyalgia (FM), chemical toxicity and sensitivities (MCS) and chronic inflammation.

Connect with Dr Donohoe
Website:  Mosman Integrative Medicine

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DISCLAIMER: The Information provided in the Wellness by Designs podcast is for educational purposes only; the information presented is not intended to be used as medical advice; please seek the advice of a qualified healthcare professional if what you have heard here today raises questions or concerns relating to your health

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:21

This is Wellness Fighters Ions, and I'm your host, andrew Whitfield Cook. Joining us today is Dr Mark Donahue, an integrative GP of great renown, current president of ACNEM, the Australasian College of Nutritional and Environmental Medicine, and a true vanguard of patient health here in Australia for many, many, many decades. Dr Mark Donahue, welcome to Wellness Fighters Ions. How are you?

Speaker 2: 0:47

I'm great, andrew. Why does this feel so familiar? I have this deja vu feeling that you've said these words before and I just cannot place where.

Speaker 1: 0:59

Now, mark, today we're going to be discussing, or recapping, really, the proceedings of the recent ACNEM conference held in August 2023 down in Melbourne, and it was on long COVID, and we're going to be discussing what we've learned from that because it's quite enlightening somewhat different from what we thought. So, firstly, can you just take us through the official prevalence of long COVID what the quote unquote authorities say, versus what you are seeing as an integrative practitioner in your practice?

Speaker 2: 1:37

Yeah, I can take you through, but remember, I have a very particular medical practice and so I can tell you official figures, ones that are derived from data from the UK, which has been recent. The official figures are that, at present, long COVID is approximately 2% of the population are affected, of which 1% of the population are severely affected to the point that they cannot work. So roughly 1 in 100 people is disabled enough not to be able to work. 1 in 50 people in the whole of Australia is suffering long COVID. Now what does that translate to? Probably 500,000 people, and those numbers seem to not be diminishing. A bit of the problem depends on what we call long COVID.