Defining Long COVID: Highlights from the National Academy of Sciences Consensus Report
In part the National Academies describe long COVID as "a chronic, systemic disease state with profound consequences." The report provides a working definition.
"A chronic, systemic disease state with profound consequences"
The definition of long COVID denotes that it is chronic, present for at least 3 months once a SARS-CoV-2 infection has cleared as a continuous, relapsing and remitting or progressive disease that affects 1 or more organ systems.
Long COVID has multiple manifestations and can affect multiple organ systems.
Long COVID can lead to respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, cognition and emotional disorders, and dysautonomia.
Long COVID has been associated with new or recurrent myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and other autoimmune syndromes.
Features of long COVID to note well: it can follow SARS-CoV-2 infection of any severity and can follow the infection directly or manifest at a later time.
Long COVID can be mild or severe; diagnosis is on clinical grounds - there are no biomarkers to conclusively demonstrate the syndrome's presence.
Long COVID can have profound emotional and physical impact on individuals and families including impairing the ability to attend school or work.
“Inconsistent disease terminology and meaning can confound clinicians, limit the generalizability of research findings, and inhibit patients from obtaining the recognition, care, and support they need,” Harvey V Fineberg, chair of NASEM’s Committee on Examining the Working Definition for Long COVID, said in the report’s preface.
NASEM convened a committee of technical experts across disciplines and "members whose lived experience as patients could inform the process of developing a definition." The slide show above provides highlights of the full consensus report as summarized by NASEM, including the agreed-upon definition, the single or multiple symptoms, and single or multiple diagnosable conditions. NASEM provides 7 important features of long COVID that reflect its unpredictable course and that all who have, have had, or who treat or study the disorder should bear in mind.
