What is Long COVID?
Long COVID is also known as Post-acute COVID-19 syndrome (PACS), Post Acute Sequelae of COVD-19 (PASC), COVID Long Haulers, or Long-term COVID-19.
These terms describe a collection of lingering symptoms devastating the lives of many COVID-19 survivors. These symptoms persist in an estimated 10–20% of COVID-19 patients, regardless of infection severity, even after the patient no longer tests positive for the virus or antibodies. While recovery times for COVID-19 vary from person to person, Long COVID generally refers to cases where symptoms continue to persist for 90 days or more.
Preliminary reports and data about Long COVID symptoms and patient experiences contain many similarities to other chronic illnesses known to be associated with viral triggers, such as: Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), other forms of Dysautonomia, and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), just to name a few. Among patients with medical visits, 68% received a new diagnosis and 38% visited a new specialist who did not treat the patient in the year before the COVID-19 diagnosis.