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Mechanisms of long COVID: An updated review

Yan Liu1,2, Xiaoying Gu3, Haibo Li1

  • 1National Center for Respiratory Medicine; State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Health and Multimorbidity; National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Diseases; Institute of Respiratory Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences; Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Center of Respiratory Medicine, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing 100029, China.

Chinese Medical Journal Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
|August 22, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Long COVID, persistent symptoms after SARS-CoV-2 infection, affects many patients regardless of initial disease severity. Vaccination can reduce long COVID rates, but its mechanisms remain unclear.

Area of Science:

  • Infectious Diseases
  • Immunology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant global health and economic disruption.
  • Long COVID, characterized by persistent symptoms post-SARS-CoV-2 infection, affects individuals irrespective of initial illness severity.
  • Common symptoms include fatigue, dyspnea, and multi-organ involvement.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the clinical presentations of long COVID.
  • To summarize current evidence on the pathogenesis of long COVID.
  • To provide an overview of long COVID prevalence across different SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Main Methods:

  • This study is a narrative review.
  • It synthesizes existing literature on long COVID.
  • It examines clinical data and research on disease mechanisms.

Main Results:

  • Long COVID is prevalent across various SARS-CoV-2 variants and disease severities.
  • Vaccination is associated with reduced incidence of long COVID.
  • The underlying mechanisms driving long COVID are not yet fully understood.

Conclusions:

  • Long COVID presents a complex clinical challenge with multi-systemic implications.
  • Further research into the pathogenesis is crucial for developing effective treatments.
  • Understanding long COVID is essential for managing the long-term health consequences of the pandemic.

Keywords:
Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2Long COVIDPost-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infectionSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)

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