Long COVID
According to the information from the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 10-20% of people infected with COVID-19 may continue to experience mid- and long-term effects of COVID-19, which are collectively known as “Post COVID-19 condition,” or “Long COVID”. Common symptoms of long COVID include fatigue, shortness of breath, cognitive dysfunction, headache, pain (e.g. chest pain, joint pain) and may have an impact on everyday functioning. There may be multi-organ effects or autoimmune conditions particularly in children. Symptoms may be new onset following initial recovery from an acute COVID-19 episode or persist from the initial illness. Symptoms may also fluctuate (change from time to time) or relapse (return of symptoms after period of improvement) over time. Although it is still unclear how long the symptoms may last, current research suggests that patients can improve with time. Some studies reported that long COVID is found more often in people who had severe COVID-19 illness, but anyone (including those with mild illness) can experience this condition after infected with COVID-19. According to WHO, COVID-19 vaccination can reduce incidence of long COVID. Some studies also suggested vaccinated persons are less likely to develop long COVID even they get infected, compared to the unvaccinated.
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