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Fatigue, kidney failure and chronic lung problems are among the crippling long-term impact of Covid-19 - but they can be prevented by getting vaccinated, according to a top Australian intensive care doctor.
Sydney's Royal Prince Alfred Hospital ICU co-director Dr Richard Totaro said he has seen patients pass through his wards who survive the virus but are then left with debilitating health issues.
He said Australians should see immunisation as the only way to reduce the risk of dying from coronavirus or suffering health issues that could alter the rest of their life.
None of the 21 NSW residents to have died during Sydney's latest Delta outbreak had received both doses of a Covid-19 vaccine.
Pictured are doctors treating an Australian patient suffering from Covid-19. A top ICU doctor has warned Australians they could suffer from debilitating health problems such as kidney failure and chronic lung problems even if they survive the virus
Of the five deaths announced state-wide from the virus on Thursday, four were unvaccinated and one had received only one dose of the AstraZeneca jab.
'Most people don't understand the really long-term effects that can happen with Covid,' he told The Daily Telegraph.
'People lose their sense of smell and taste, and that can last up to a year… they get chronic long-term limits in how well their lungs function.'
He said others meanwhile suffer lung disease and shortness of breath up to 12 months after contracting the virus.
Dr Totaro said some Covid patients also develop severe mental health problems after spending time in the ICU.
He said he has seen some coronavirus patients suffer from depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and have issues sleeping after being discharged from hospital.
Dr Totaro called for Australians to protect themselves and the community by getting either the AstraZeneca or Pfizer vaccine.
Residents are tested at a drive-through Covid-19 test centre in Adamstown in Newcastle north of Sydney on Thursday. None of the 21 NSW residents to have died during Sydney's latest Delta outbreak had received both doses of a Covid-19 vaccine
