Summary:
A new report from the National Academies highlights Long COVID’s broad and severe impacts. Diagnosing Long COVID doesn’t require a positive test. The condition can cause over 200 symptoms and significantly affect daily functioning.
Key risk factors include being female, unvaccinated, having preexisting conditions, or smoking. There’s no cure; treatment focuses on symptom management. Disparities in healthcare access affect outcomes. While children generally recover better than adults, they can still experience significant symptoms.
More research is needed to fully understand Long COVID, especially in children.
- Long COVID Definition:
- Refers to persistent symptoms and new or worsening health effects following acute SARS-CoV-2 infection.
- No consensus definition exists, but “Long COVID” is widely used and inclusive.
- Recognizes patients’ voices who alerted the world to long-term health consequences.
- Prevalence:
- In 2022, 6.9% of U.S. adults and 1.3% of children experienced Long COVID at some point.
- At the time of interview, 3.4% of adults and 0.5% of children had Long COVID.
- Estimated 8.9 million adults and 362,000 children reported Long COVID symptoms in the U.S. in 2022.
- Prevalence fluctuated over time (e.g., declined from 7.5% in June 2022 to 5.9% in January 2023, then increased to 6.8% in January 2024).
- Context for SSA:
- SSA is interested in Long COVID due to its potential impact on disability criteria.
- Symptoms may persist for 12 months or more.
- Health effects (e.g., chronic fatigue, cognitive impairment, autonomic dysfunction) can impair work or school attendance.
- Disease Management:
- No FDA-approved drugs or disease-modifying treatments for Long COVID currently exist.
- Management focuses on symptom control, functional improvement, and quality of life.
- Approaches include pacing, mobility support, social support, diet modulation, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and rehabilitation.
- Multidisciplinary teams are often involved.
- Ongoing trials explore pharmacological agents, but limited data are available.
- Health Equity Challenges:
- Social determinants of health (socioeconomic status, geographic location, health literacy, race, and ethnicity) impact access to health care.
- Disadvantaged groups face disparities in SARS-CoV-2 testing, vaccination, and specialized rehabilitation clinics for Long COVID.
- Demand for specialty care exceeds capacity, resulting in waitlists.
- Similar Chronic Conditions:
- Long COVID shares features with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia, and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS).
- Mechanisms of action for infection-associated chronic illnesses remain unclear.
- Long COVID prognosis is generally better than ME/CFS, but both appear to be chronic conditions.
- Studies comparing Long COVID and ME/CFS have limitations due to differences in study participants and duration criteria.
Main Points:
- Diagnosis: Positive COVID-19 test not required.
- Symptoms: Over 200 possible symptoms; varies by individual.
- Impact: Can severely affect daily function, work, and school.
- Risk Factors: Female, unvaccinated, preexisting conditions, smoking.
- No Cure: Management focuses on symptom relief.
- Disparities: Access to care varies by socioeconomic status, geography, and race.
- Children: Less affected than adults but can still experience Long COVID.
Diagnosing, measuring, and treating Long COVID is complicated, as it can present differently from person to person and persist for months or years,” said Paul Volberding, chair of the committee that wrote the report. “Our report seeks to offer a clear summary of what research has found so far about diagnosing Long COVID and its impact on daily lives.
Long Covid The Answers
Credible Source:
May be under a subscription paywall
Undertaken by the Committee on the Long-Term Health Effects Stemming from COVID-19 and Implications for the Social Security Administration, the study was sponsored by Social Security Administration.
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Long-Term
Health Effects of COVID-19: Disability and Function Following SARS-CoV-2
Infection. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
https://doi.org/10.17226/27756
