Reaching out to CALD communities – I gave an interview in Greek (English version) for SBS on Long- COVID.
SBS Interview
Long COVID syndrome is more common in women, but can affect patients of all ages. It causes a variety of symptoms, which can last for months. It has already started torturing many patients in Australia.
After the Covid-19 pandemic, about one in five patients with coronavirus develop long-term Covid symptoms, such as excessive fatigue, difficulty thinking and concentrating, and muscle, joint, and head pain. Similar symptoms with many autoimmune issues. These symptoms can last from weeks to 6 months. Patients in need of hospitalization are at greater risk for more serious heart, lung or kidney disease.
But long COVID syndrome as it is called can affect those who got sick very slightly, regardless of age. The long covid is already appearing and affecting many patients in Australia, as General Practitioner Dr. Magdalena Simoni told SBS Greek.
Dr Simonis urges citizens, now that winter has arrived in Australia for good, not to forget protection measures, such as wearing masks in means of transport and indoors. In order to protect both themselves and those around them, from the danger of covid, but also of the particularly dangerous seasonal flu that circulates.
Listen to the full interview
Here are the links of the podcasted interview and article:
Greek: https://www.sbs.com.au/language/greek/audio/long-covid-already-tortures-australians
English: https://www.sbs.com.au/language/english/audio/long-covid-already-tortures-australians
Dr Magdalena Simonis
MBBS FRACGP DRANZCOG MHHS
President Australian Federation of Medical Women
National COVID-19 Taskforce expert advisory group
Photo credit: Pixabay
Associate Professor Magdalena Simonis AM is a Past President of the AFMW (2020-2023), former President of VMWS (2013 & 2017-2020) and current AFMW National Coordinator (2024-2026). She is a full time clinician who also holds positions on several not for profit organisations, driven by her passion for bridging gaps across the health sector. She is a leading women’s health expert, keynote speaker, climate change and gender equity advocate and government advisor. Magda is member of The Australian Health Team contributing monthly articles.
Magdalena was awarded a lifetime membership of the RACGP for her contributions which include past chair of Women in General Practice, longstanding contribution to the RACGP Expert Committee Quality Care, the RACGP eHealth Expert Committee. She is regularly invited to comment on primary care research though mainstream and medical media and contributes articles on various health issues through newsGP and other publications.
Magdalena has represented the RACGP at senate enquiries and has worked on several National Health Framework reviews. She is author of the RACGP Guide on Female Genital Cosmetic Surgery and co-reviewer of the RACGP Red Book Women’s Health Chapter, and reviewer of the RACGP White book
Both an RACGP examiner and University examiner, she undertakes general practice research and is a GP Educator with the Safer Families Centre of Research Excellence, which develops education tools to assist the primary care sector identify, respond to and manage family violence . Roles outside of RACGP include the Strategy and Policy Committee for Breast Cancer Network Australia, Board Director of the Melbourne University Teaching Health Clinics and the elected GP representative to the AMA Federal Council. In 2022. she was award the AMA (Vic) Patrick Pritzwald-Steggman Award 2022, which celebrates a doctor who has made an exceptional contribution to the wellbeing of their colleagues and the community and was listed as Women’s Agenda 2022 finalist for Emerging Leader in Health.
Magdalena has presented at the United Nations as part of the Australian Assembly and was appointed the Australian representative to the World Health Organisation, World Assembly on COVID 19, by the Medical Women’s International Association (MWIA) in 2021. In 2023, A/Professor Simonis was included on the King’s COVID-19 Champion’s list and was also awarded a Member (AM) in the General Division for significant service to medicine through a range of roles and to women’s health.
