‘Let’s make combating chronic NCDs a priority amid COVID’
THE ONSET of COVID-19, with its multisystem effects on the body, has wreaked devastation on our lives and economies. The consequential social and economic disruptions have brought into focus the clear linkages of health, life, and economies. No individual or sector has been spared the devastating effects of COVID. The obvious lessons from the effects of COVID-19 is that as a community, nation, and world citizens, we are all in this thing together.
With its multisystem and multi-organ effects and the lingering effects of ‘ long COVID’ in its aftermath, this has brought into sharp focus the need for continuous care and monitoring of patients with chronic illnesses. Your family physicians is aptly placed to perform this role.
‘Long COVID’, a term used to describe the post-viral effects of COVID, has a wide constellation of symptoms and devastating long-term effects.
A significant percentage of COVID sufferers have been left with chronic and significant post-viral illnesses. These illnesses will need long-term care from family physicians, who play an ever-important role in the management of patients with non-communicable diseases, acute illnesses, and other chronic, long-term ailments. The care of patients with long COVID will become an additional responsibility of family physicians now and beyond. COVID-19 extracted the highest toll on patients already suffering from chronic diseases, who were poorly controlled, and had pre-existing organ damage. Patients who were hypertensive reportedly had the highest morbidity and mortality rates amongst suffers of COVID-19, followed by diabetics. Patients with additional/multiple co-morbidities suffered even higher mortality rates. The potential suffering, morbidity and mortality of patients with NCDs should provide the guideposts for improving and prioritising the care of patients with hypertension and other comorbidities, to prevent further carnage in a future viral eruption.
As family physicians, we not only play a pivotal role in detecting and caring for our patients with comorbidities; we also exert tremendous influence on and guidance for, our patients to ensure compliance and sound lifestyle choices. With our influence on policymakers, and our ability to shape public opinion, we can promote the inauguration and development of preventative strategies in the fight against NCDs.
Our unique position in society, which gives us constant presence and a wide dispersal amongst the community, enables us to spot any emerging trend of illnesses, and thereby raise the alarm in the event of any new patterns, or rising trend of existing conditions. The vigilance, care and attention to details by family physicians, along with the education, compliance and engagement of patients, coupled with the enactment of suitable health policies, the provision and proper utilisation of resources can minimise the long-term effects of COVID-19. Dr Donald Gordon President, Association of General Practitioners of Jamaica