Phenotyping long COVID

Naeije, Robert; Caravita, Sergio

The public health consequences of the epidemic of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Corona Virus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections may well go beyond the current burden on hospital services and the indirect effects of social distancing and lockdowns. Patients, particularly older ones with co-morbidities, do experience persistent dyspnea, fatigue, body aches and brain fog during months after hospital discharge [1]. Post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection or PASC, more commonly called long Corona Virus Infection Disease-19 or long COVID attract considerable media attention, patient advocacy group-initiated research and recently a $1.15 billion funding by the United States National Institute of Health (NIH) [1]. Cellular damage, inflammatory cytokine production, and pro-coagulant state induced by SARS-CoV-2 infection provide a pathophysiological rationale for long-lasting symptomatology [2]. Given the magnitude of the COVID-19 pandemic, with currently over 150 million reported cases, long COVID may emerge as a huge worldwide medical problem [1, 2].