CContaminated by the Sars-CoV-2 coronavirus, some people are victims of post-Covid-19 illness, commonly referred to by patients as “long Covid”, which is characterized by the persistence, for months or even years, of various disabling symptoms. This condition can affect patients who have had a mild initial form as well as a severe form, or even affect people who initially showed no symptoms.
Due to the large number of patients who have been infected worldwide with this coronavirus, the long Covid constitutes an emerging public health problem, and a major challenge for health authorities.
At present, three main causes possibly involved in long Covid are the subject of intensive research: the persistence of the Sars-CoV-2 coronavirus in the body of patients, the maintenance of an inflammatory state after infection and the formation of microclots.
Two and a half years into the pandemic, here’s what scientists studying these different avenues have learned.
What is the long Covid?
Long Covid syndrome, also known as “post-Covid-19 syndrome” or “PACS” (post-acute Covid syndrome), was defined at the end of 2021 by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a condition that usually appears within three months of initial infection with Sars-CoV-2 and is characterized by symptoms that persist for at least two months […] Read more