Tuesday, 17 March 2026

 Sarah MANSFIELD (Western Victoria) (21:36): (2406) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Health, and the action I am seeking is for her to commit to investing more into long COVID research and prevention and publicly funded clinics. While the acute phase of the pandemic may feel like a bad dream for many, the long-term health consequences of COVID-19 remain a significant and ongoing challenge for individuals, their families and our health system. Long COVID continues to affect many Victorians who for months or even years after their initial infection are still experiencing debilitating symptoms. Last week was Long COVID Awareness Week. It provided an important opportunity to acknowledge the lived experience of those who continue to struggle with the condition and to raise awareness about the need for greater understanding, support and research.

There are over 200 long COVID symptoms, including persistent fatigue, cognitive difficulties, shortness of breath, heart palpitations and a range of other complex and fluctuating health issues that are different for every individual. Each individual living with long COVID experiences the condition, as I said, differently, but for some, these symptoms significantly impact their capacity to work, study or engage fully in their lives. Often patients feel the need to mask these symptoms in order to get through daily life, resulting in further exhaustion and exacerbation of symptoms in a more private moment. For patients and their families, the experience of long COVID can be deeply frustrating and isolating. Because the condition itself is still being studied and understood, many patients report difficulty in accessing a clear diagnosis, appropriate treatment pathways or coordinated care, and health professionals themselves are often navigating emerging evidence.

The best way to stop long COVID is to prevent COVID infection in the first place, and a good place to start would be stronger requirements around indoor air quality in public places like workplaces and schools. This would prevent not just COVID but many airborne illnesses that contribute significantly to morbidity and mortality in our community. Continued research and investment are also incredibly important in expanding our understanding of long COVID, its causes, risk factors, effective treatments and long-term outcomes, and it is essential to providing better care to those who are affected and preventing more people from getting it. Access to publicly funded, dedicated services is equally important for recovery and improving quality of life. Long COVID patients often require multidisciplinary care involving general practitioners, specialists, allied health professionals and rehabilitation services, but care is currently hard to navigate and can be incredibly costly. Long COVID has broader implications for the workforce and for community wellbeing. Many patients are of working age and would love nothing more than to return to their previous routines. I urge the minister to do more to address long COVID in Victoria through prevention, research and publicly funded care pathways to support Victorians living with the condition in their ongoing journey to recovery.