A short story of long COVID

Excerpt

Already after the first few months into the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic two astonishing facets of the pathogen became apparent: contrary to its name it not only causes respiratory disease but also a multisystemic disease and it is associated with long-term post-acute sequelae that affect diverse organ systems ranging from hair loss and dyspnea to affective disorders. The term long COVID was coined by Dr. Elisa Perego from the UK in a Twitter hashtag leading to a surge of messages in the social media with many sharing their experiences and reporting persistent or newly developing symptoms after acute COVID-19. The World Health Organization defined it in 2021 and after a comprehensive Delphi process redefined it in 2022 [1]. According to this definition “post-COVID-19 condition occurs in individuals with a history of probable or confirmed SARS-CoV‑2 infection, usually 3 months from the onset, with symptoms that last for at least 2 months and cannot be explained by an alternative diagnosis” [1]. The post-COVID condition now has the ICD-10 code: U09.9. In the scientific literature a variety of other designations are used; however, in the public and the media the term long COVID prevails. Its advantage is its descriptive nature that does not imply assumptions about the underlying physiology. …