WHO issues clinical case definition of long COVID
- Long COVID or post-COVID-19 are umbrella terms that refer to COVID-19 symptoms that persist beyond the initial phase of a SARS-CoV-2 infection.
< r='0' src='https://i.imgur.com/Ua3OS6W.png'/> - The absence of a formal definition for post-COVID-19 has made the research of this condition and its management challenging.
- The World Health Organization (WHO) recently published a definition of post-COVID-19 according to input from a panel of researchers, patients, and clinicians.
- A standardized definition of post-COVID-19 will help advance research, facilitate awareness and acceptance, and aid diagnosis and management of this condition.
Depending upon the severity of symptoms, most individuals recover from COVID-19 within the first 3–4 weeks after contracting the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Yet, a significant number of individuals experience lingering COVID-19 symptoms for weeks and months after this initial or acute phase of the infection.
People have collectively described these persistent COVID-19 symptoms with terms such as long COVID, “post-acute COVID-19,” or “post-COVID-19.”
Some of the common symptoms of long COVID include fatigue, breathing difficulties, insomnia, pain, and brain fog. Additionally, post-COVID-19 can
Stay informed with live updates on the current COVID-19 outbreak and visit our coronavirus hub for more advice on prevention and treatment.
The lack of a standardized definition and consistent terminology for post-COVID-19 have been obstacles for researchers studying the condition and its clinical diagnosis and treatment.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently published a
There was a lack of awareness and
Since then, researchers have conducted several studies to estimate the proportion of individuals with persistent symptoms and determine the risk factors and symptoms associated with post-COVID-19.
Although there is more widespread awareness about post-COVID-19 now, the absence of a formal definition for the condition has led to inconsistencies in protocols by research groups studying this condition.
For instance, there is a lack of consensus about the time of onset and duration of post-COVID-19 symptoms. This has led to research groups using different time windows to estimate the incidence of long COVID.
Similarly, the absence of consensus on the symptoms associated with long COVID has resulted in studies including or excluding certain symptoms, influencing the estimates of the incidence of the condition and its symptoms.
The lack of a formal clinical case definition, which can provide criteria for diagnosing long COVID, has created challenges for healthcare professionals to diagnose and treat individuals with persistent symptoms.
Several organizations and societies have issued definitions for post-COVID to facilitate research and help the management of individuals with long COVID. However, a globally standardized definition has been lacking.
Leave a Comment