The Reality of Long COVID

It is likely safe to say that the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic is behind us, coronavirus still can cause complications in the present. While it is true that there are no new variants of COVID-19 being discovered every few months, it is not exactly as if the disease is seasonal like influenza. However, it has been the study of long COVID that perhaps sustains the peak of COVID-19’s relevance nowadays. Long COVID is a chronic condition where those infected with COVID-19 continue to show complications or disease symptoms even after testing negative (oftentimes for months after infection). Symptoms can include lethargic behavior, soreness, and dizziness. However, a recent study has concluded that rates of long COVID infection decreased as new variants emerged during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, people who were vaccinated handled the delta (summer of 2021) and omicron (winter of 2021/2022) variants better than those who were unvaccinated at the time.

Even though it seems like the potency of COVID-19 was only increasing with the emergence of new variants during the height of the pandemic, the disease was certainly not as potent in the lens of long-term COVID risk. Most people diagnosed with COVID-19 during the height of the pandemic saw no lingering symptoms following a negative test. While they can potentially be misidentified as part of an underlying condition (other chronic illnesses), COVID-like symptoms following a negative test must be seriously considered as COVID-19 and not mistaken for diseases with similar side effects. With no definitive cure for long COVID, treatment often must be specialized through a dedicated physician. These treatment plans often include therapeutic and pain-relieving techniques to maximize patient comfort.

Researchers observed that for every 1000 unvaccinated people, 104 developed long COVID in the pre-delta pandemic era, while 95 developed the condition in the delta era, and only 78 showed long COVID symptoms in the omicron era. For every 1000 vaccinated people, 53 developed long COVID during the delta era and just 35 during the omicron phase. There is no pre-delta data for vaccinated people, as vaccines only started rolling out in December 2020. The large 72% decrease in long COVID diagnosis during the omicron phase is mainly thanks to vaccines and other efficient antiviral treatments. However, even today, COVID-19 continues to evolve, and with many people behind on their vaccination schedules, long COVID will continue to pose a formidable concern in the near future.

Author: Abhinav Katyal

Reference: 1. Cunningham A. The odds of developing long COVID dropped as the coronavirus evolved. Science News. July 17, 2024. Accessed August 12, 2024. https://www.sciencenews.org/article/odds-long-covid-dropped-coronavirus-evolved.