About one in eight individuals develop long Covid following Covid-19 infection.
More than 200 symptoms and signs and 50 conditions have been attributed to long Covid.
This definition includes symptoms are present for four weeks after the initial phase of infection.
It may be multi systemic.
Long Covid symptoms may worsen over time and can contribute in a pattern of relapse and recovery.
It may present with relapsing-remitting pattern and progression or worsening over time and the possibility of severe and life-threatening event, even months or years after infection may occur.
The most frequent symptom is fatigue.
Brain fog, problems with focus, memory, or recollection, sleep disturbances, mood changes, headaches, loss of taste and smell, heart palpitations, dizziness, shortness of breath, cough, chest pain, diarrhea, stomach pain, joint or muscle pain, rashes, feelings of pins and needles are common.
The initial onset of substance use disorder may occur, and it may exacerbate obsessive-compulsive disorder and post traumatic stress disorder.
It may be related to psychosis and sleep disorders.
A history of anxiety, depression, loneliness, and stress correlates with a greater risk of long Covid.
Mental health symptoms are increased in long Covid and are related to pre-existing comorbid condition, hospitalizations and severity of COVID-19 illness.
Women are more likely to have long Covid related mental health systems as are Blacks, Hispanics, Latinos and indigenous populations.
People with disabilities have a greater than 80% incidence of long Covid and the rate is also more than double among transgender than cis gender males.
Among critically ill patients with COVID-19 randomized to receive an IL-6 receptor antagonist had a greater than 99.9% probability of improved 180 day mortality compared with patients randomized to a control group, and treatment with an anti-platelet agent had 95% probability of improved 180 day mortality compared with a randomized control group.