Benedetta Fabris
The Covid-19 health emergency is officially over, according to WHO, but the effects continue to be felt throughout the world – especially for those who experience the debilitating symptoms of long Covid.
WHO defines long Covid as the “continuation or development” of new symptoms three months after the initial infection. These symptoms can include fatigue, shortness of breath, joint pain, chest pain, cognitive difficulties, and more.
These symptoms can heavily impact a person’s quality of life and in some cases, sufferers may be left unable to work or do daily tasks, and as this condition is so new – there is no known cure. Instead, patients have to rely on symptomatic treatments, like painkillers.
Interestingly, research shows that long Covid affects women more than men. In fact, a 2022 study found women are 50% more likely than men to develop long Covid. Some experts speculate that this may be due to differences in immune system function between men and women, which make the latter more prone to developing autoimmune problems.
Medical Misogyny and Long Covid
Despite the symptoms of long Covid being so severe for many, the medical system is prone to downplaying the condition or misdiagnosing it as psychological.
“Now that I’m myself affected, I have to reconsider some of my beliefs.”
Renowned Italian virologist Dr Massimo Galli was initially sceptical about long COVID before suffering from the condition. In a Panorama interview headlined My Long Battle With Long Covid, Galli confessed about his previous doubts, “With due embarrassment.”
He told the Italian publication: “Now that I’m myself affected, I have to reconsider some of my beliefs.”
Is this because long Covid primarily affects women? Probably. Galli only believed the condition existed after experiencing it firsthand, the testimony of sufferers – who are largely women – wasn’t enough to begin with.
Epidemiologists Dr Steven Phillips and Dr Michelle Williams stated in the New England Journal of Medicine: “Our medical system has a long history of minimising women’s symptoms and dismissing or misdiagnosing their conditions as psychological.
“Women of colour with long Covid, in particular, have been disbelieved and denied tests that their white counterparts have received.”
The ongoing problem of medical misogyny
This is not the first and it will not be the last case of misogyny in the medical field. There are many other medical conditions, predominantly affecting women, which doctors are quick to dismiss.
In recent years, we’ve learned about vulvodynia, fibromyalgia, and endometriosis. Does this mean these conditions didn’t exist in the past? Of course not, but they were dismissed as psychological in origin.
“The misogynistic, dismissive attitude can have serious consequences for patients, including delayed diagnosis and ineffective treatment”
Remarks like “it’s all in your head” are something far too many women hear daily from medical professionals. This misogynistic, dismissive attitude can have serious consequences for patients, including delayed diagnosis and ineffective treatment. It can destroy the quality of life for so many women.
In October 2022, five women from around the world spoke to The Guardian about their experience with post-viral illnesses, including long Covid. One of them, Varalakshmi Padma Priya Dharmavarapu, was misdiagnosed with severe anxiety. Her doctor suggested she “drink more water, wear compression socks, and reduce stress levels at home.”
“For too long women have navigated a healthcare system that fails to take their experiences seriously”
For too long, women have navigated a healthcare system that fails to take their experiences seriously. It is important to raise awareness around conditions like long Covid. We need to expose instances of medical misogyny so, moving forward, all patients receive equal and effective treatment.
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Featured image courtesy of @enginakyurt on Unsplash. Image license found here. No changes have been made to this image.
