In early October, the World He alth Organization (WHO) released the first official definition of long COVID, which it calls "the post-COVID state." What is the characteristic of this condition and what are the symptoms?
As WHO points out, some people infected with SARS-CoV-2 experience symptoms of the disease long after they recover. This long-lasting effect after infection can be seen in the symptoms of various systems of the human body, e.g. the nervous or cardiovascular systems, but there may also be psychological effects.
According to the researchers, these symptoms appear to occur regardless of the severity of the infection, but they are more common in women and in those who had more symptoms at the onset of the disease.
As there are many different definitions, which unfortunately lead to various complications in clinical policy development and research progress, WHO has decided to include in the global circulation a standardized definition of a clinical case for "post-COVID-19 state" .
For this purpose, a two-stage Delphi exercise was conducted, involving five stakeholder groups - patients, external experts, WHO staff, patient researchers and others. 265 participants took part in the first stage and 195 in the second stage.
Post-COVID-19 status occurs in people with confirmed or probable SARS-CoV-2 infection,usually 3 months after onset of symptoms, which lasts at least 2 monthsand cannot be explain them with an alternative diagnosis.
The typical symptoms of the "post-COVID-19 state" include :
- fatigue,
- shortness of breath,
- cognitive dysfunction,
- menstrual and menstrual problems,
- changed smell / taste,
- anxiety,
- cough,
- chest pain,
- brain fog,
- dizziness,
- gastrointestinal problems,
- joint pain.
Symptoms may reappear after you initially recover from an acute COVID-19 episode, or they may persist from disease onset and may change or recur. According to the researchers, a separate definition may apply for children.
Still the best way to avoid symptoms associated with "long COVID" is to prevent, i.e. vaccinate, wearface masks, physical and social distance or self-isolation in case of illness.
About the author
Patrycja Pupiec Editor specializing in he alth promotion and psychology. Curiosity about people and their stories drives her to take up socially difficult topics. Author of the StrefaKobiety series devoted to women's he alth, in which she talks with a doctor about prevention and the problems they face. He likes to be up to date, which is why he follows scientific discoveries, especially those related to medicine. Privately, a lover of animals, hiking and the work of Edward Stachura.