What long-term consequences does a corona infection have on the sickness of employees in Germany?
06.07.2022 11:42
What long-term consequences does a corona infection have on the sickness of employees in Germany? A current study by the Techniker Krankenkasse (TK) shows: Of the TK-insured employees who received a COVID-19 diagnosis with virus detection (PCR test) in 2020, almost one percent were diagnosed with long-term illness in 2021. COVID* sick leave. Overall, Long COVID has only accounted for a relatively small proportion of the total number of sick days among those in employment - but those affected are on sick leave for a comparatively long time, on average 105 days.
Those already affected by Long COVID with a mild course of a corona infection were average in 2021 90 days on sick leave. Long COVID sufferers who were in hospital for more than seven days because of their corona infection were on average the following year 168 days on sick leave. For those affected who had to be ventilated in the hospital, it was even average 190 days. For comparison: On average, every employed person was insured with TK in the last year 14.6 days reported unfit for work. This special evaluation on Long-COVID is part of the TK Health Report 2022 “Two years of the corona pandemic: How are Germany’s employees doing? Part 2”, which was presented in Berlin at the beginning of July.
The effects of Long-COVID are not yet foreseeable – the number of unreported cases is high
The symptoms of Long COVID are diverse and range from limited resilience and extreme fatigue to shortness of breath and headaches to muscle and limb pain. “The analysis shows: Anyone affected by Long COVID has been dealing with this disease – which still poses many mysteries to us – for a long time,” says Dr. Jens Baas, CEO of TK. “The number of people affected by Long COVID appears to be relatively small at just under one percent. But these are only the patients who were given sick leave with this specific diagnosis - we also assume that there will be a high number of unreported cases.
As is already known from the numbers of corona infected people, it can also be assumed that Long COVID is under-recorded in the data, since, given the diverse clinical picture, not only the diagnostic key for post-COVID, which has only been available since November 2020, is often used. In the 2021 analysis period, a total of 0.35 percent of the absences, i.e. 234,656 days of absence, were due to this among the TK-insured workforce alone.
Dr. Thomas Grobe from the aQua Institute for Applied Quality Promotion and Research in Health Care, who prepared the data for TK: “That’s why we looked deeper into the data again. Including suspected cases, a total of 13.1 percent (more than one in eight) of TK-insured employees had a COVID-19 diagnosis in 2020. It turns out that, according to the model calculation, around 1.6 percent of all absences caused in this group can be attributed to the long-term effects of this corona disease. That corresponds to around 1.3 million days of absence.” But these numbers are also based exclusively on proven inability to work. Many people with Long COVID symptoms such as severe fatigue do not take sick leave at all. TK boss Baas adds: “For the report, we have so far only been able to analyze the absences of those affected by COVID from the first year of the pandemic. Back then the starting point was completely different. We haven't had that many virus variants yet and there hasn't been a vaccination yet. Added to this is the increasing number of corona infected people over the course of the pandemic. Therefore, it is not yet possible to foresee what will happen to us.”
Family practice coordinates treatment of long COVID
Dr. Christian Gogoll, pulmonologist at the Evangelical Lung Clinic Berlin, co-author of the medical guidelines for Long COVID and himself a Long COVID patient: “Long COVID can massively restrict the lives of those affected. Shortness of breath, exhaustion, nerve pain, the smallest activity causes stress in everyday life. I know that from my own expirience. It is therefore important for those affected to get help as early as possible. Long COVID is a disease with many faces. Therefore, there is no “one” correct treatment method. In general, the focus is on the family doctor's practice. The family doctor coordinates the treatment and, if necessary, refers it specifically to specialist practices, for example in the field of neurology or pulmonary medicine, or special long-COVID outpatient clinics.”
TK has been supporting long-COVID sufferers with symptoms of severe exhaustion (“fatigue”) with the “Fimo Health app” since the end of June. Dr. Jens Baas: “Severe exhaustion is one of the most common symptoms of long COVID. The Fimo Health app can help those affected make their everyday lives easier. For example, with a symptom diary, gamification elements and the recording of external influences using wearables or smartphones.”