“Long Covid is a disease that is still too little understood, whose consequences affect not only health, but also school, employment and solidarity. With its 53 recommendations, the text adopted today gives governments a roadmap to improve patient care,” stresses Anne-Charlotte d’Ursel, the senator behind the resolution.
In Belgium, 4.2% of people aged 15 and over report suffering from long Covid, according to Sciensano's 2023-2024 health survey. That is roughly 1 in 25 people. Behind this figure lie very concrete situations: a pupil who can no longer get through a day of lessons, a worker whose concentration collapses, a parent whose illness disrupts daily life with their children.
“For many, Covid belongs to the past. For patients with long Covid, its consequences still shape every day. They must be listened to, guided and treated. After months of work and hearings with doctors, researchers and patient associations, these 53 recommendations must be heard,” she states.
More than 200 symptoms have been identified: persistent fatigue, breathlessness, pain, sleep disorders, memory and concentration difficulties, and more. These varying signs make the disease hard to detect, leading to a real medical wandering for patients who are already severely weakened, often stigmatised and very isolated.
Long Covid can reduce independence, weaken income and disrupt family life. At work, it can lead to absences, reduced working hours or an interruption of professional activity. In its 2026 report, the OECD notes that available studies suggest employment disruption for around 1 in 5 affected workers.
The resolution advocates gradual adjustments to tasks and working hours, as well as better coordination between the patient, their treating doctor, the occupational physician and the health insurance fund.
“Behind a work interruption, there is sometimes someone who wants to return but whose abilities fluctuate from day to day. A lasting return requires individualised support. The hearings showed the need to take into account all the consequences of the disease, including for loved ones,” explains the senator.