Too Short a Time for Long COVID

I want to write a post - or posts - about long COVID, because it will surely be a significant factor in the new world, a legacy of the pandemic that helps define "the new normal."  But we just don't know enough about it at this point.  It's been two years since WHO* declared the pandemic, and although research is being done with patients who contracted COVID early, and then showed symptoms of long COVID, no one has had it for long enough for us to learn much.  We can describe broad categories of symptoms** that characterize long COVID, but that's about it.

So no long COVID post yet - it could, actually, take years before we think we know enough.  But there are two related topics worth mentioning at this point:

• "Post-COVID Conditions" - the CDC has a whole page devoted to this topic.  Interestingly, it does not use the term "long COVID" but describes a wide variety of symptoms and conditions (and evidence of damage) that seems to include what we know about long COVID but goes well beyond it.  Included are MIS and post-intensive care syndrome (PICS), as well as exacerbation of pre-existing conditions, organ damage and auto-immune issues.  Obviously, more needs to be done before we can sort out what is going to be happening to who, when, and as a result of what level of illness.***
• It seems that insurance companies and worker's comp are not up to speed here; many of those suffering from long COVID are suffering even more because their claims for reimbursement for medical expenses, and/or workers' comp benefits, are being denied.  Interestingly, the impacts of long COVID do not seem to fit neatly into the categories and descriptions used to qualify claims.  Interesting article and worth a read.

I can promise you that this blog will not still be going strong five years from now, but that may be what it takes to get a sense of how all this will affect the new world.

 * - WHO.  Not "the WHO," unless it's Peter Townsend and Roger Daltry and it's 1969.

 ** - From the study's findings:  "breathing difficulties/breathlessness, fatigue/malaise, chest/throat pain, headache, abdominal symptoms, myalgia, other pain, cognitive symptoms, and anxiety/depression."

 *** - UPDATE:  I found the CDC's definition of "Post COVID Conditions: 

The term “Post-COVID Conditions” is an umbrella term for the wide range of physical and mental health consequences experienced by some patients that are present four or more weeks after SARS-CoV-2 infection, including by patients who had initial mild or asymptomatic acute infection.

This kind of vague categorization is what has to change as the years go by.