Post-Acute Covid-19 Syndrome

Among the many health consequences of COVID-19, there remain a few mysteries, including what causes the long-term, postacute sequelae known as long COVID.

More than 90% of patients in a prospective, observational study of approximately 600 experienced issues related to functional outcomes, activities of daily living, mental health and sleep 6 months after hospitalization for COVID-19.

Acknowledging that millions of Americans are suffering from post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection, or “long-haul COVID-19,” the AMA said it has adopted a policy that aims to improve the diagnosis and awareness of post-viral syndromes.

Researchers found that most patients recovering from COVID-19 had at least one persistent symptom, the most common being shortness of breath or dyspnea, exhaustion or fatigue and sleep disorders, according to an analysis of 45 studies.

Patients in a small case series who had prolonged symptoms of COVID-19 did not experience a decrease in quality of life or worsened symptoms after receiving one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, according to researchers.

Nonhospitalized COVID-19 survivors had a nearly 60% increased risk for death after the first 30 days of illness, according to a recent study. It was the top story in infectious disease last week.

In this video perspective, Serena Spudich, MD, MA, discusses her talk on the long-term neurologic consequences of COVID-19 from the COVID-19 plenary session at the American Academy of Neurology annual meeting, which is being held virtually.