Almost 36 million people across Europe have potentially suffered from the lasting health complications of COVID-19, colloquially known as "long COVID," during the first three years of the pandemic, said Dr. Hans Kluge, the regional director for the World Health Organization (WHO), on Tuesday.

Kluge described "long COVID," a condition characterized by persistent symptoms such as fatigue, shortness of breath, and cognitive difficulties even after initial recovery from the virus, as a "complex condition." He emphasized that there is still much unknown about this condition, terming it as a "glaring blind spot in our knowledge."

To truly recover from the pandemic, comprehensive diagnostic measures and treatment plans for long COVID are essential, Kluge highlighted. He further recommended that high-risk groups, including older adults, people with underlying medical conditions, and those with weakened immune systems, should continue with their vaccinations.

WHO's European region encompasses 53 countries, extending from Ireland to Uzbekistan, with a total population exceeding 900 million. Based on data from the University of Washington, Kluge noted that nearly one in 30 individuals within this region could have experienced long COVID over the past three years.

Last month, the WHO declared that COVID-19 no longer qualifies as a global emergency, over three years after identifying the virus as an international crisis. However, the U.N. health agency maintained that this does not mean the pandemic has ended, pointing to recent surges in Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

In Europe, Kluge stated that COVID-19 leveraged an existing epidemic of diseases including cancers, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and chronic lung conditions, which collectively account for 75% of deaths. He cautioned that individuals with such underlying health conditions continue to be at a higher risk for severe COVID-19 manifestations.