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First published on July 26 2021
Downloaded on July 28 2021
the bmj | BMJ 2021;374:n1648 | doi: 10.1136/bmj.n1648
Harry Crook,1 Sanara Raza,1 Joseph Nowell,1 Megan Young,1 Paul Edison1,2
ABSTRACT
Since its emergence in Wuhan, China, covid-19 has spread and had a profound e ect on the lives and health of people around the globe. As of 4 July 2021, more than 183 million con rmed cases of covid-19 had been recorded worldwide, and 3.97 million deaths. Recent evidence has shown that a range of persistent symptoms can remain long a er the acute SARS-CoV-2 infection, and this condition is now coined long covid by recognized research institutes. Studies have shown that long covid can a ect the whole spectrum of people with covid-19, from those with very mild acute disease to the most severe forms. Like acute covid-19, long covid can involve multiple organs and can a ect many systems including, but not limited to, the respiratory, cardiovascular, neurological, gastrointestinal, and musculoskeletal systems. The symptoms of long covid include fatigue, dyspnea, cardiac abnormalities, cognitive impairment, sleep disturbances, symptoms of post- traumatic stress disorder, muscle pain, concentration problems, and headache. This review summarizes studies of the long term e ects of covid-19 in hospitalized and non-hospitalized patients and describes the persistent symptoms they endure. Risk factors for acute covid-19 and long covid and possible therapeutic options are also discussed.
Downloaded on July 28 2021
the bmj | BMJ 2021;374:n1648 | doi: 10.1136/bmj.n1648
Harry Crook,1 Sanara Raza,1 Joseph Nowell,1 Megan Young,1 Paul Edison1,2
ABSTRACT
Since its emergence in Wuhan, China, covid-19 has spread and had a profound e ect on the lives and health of people around the globe. As of 4 July 2021, more than 183 million con rmed cases of covid-19 had been recorded worldwide, and 3.97 million deaths. Recent evidence has shown that a range of persistent symptoms can remain long a er the acute SARS-CoV-2 infection, and this condition is now coined long covid by recognized research institutes. Studies have shown that long covid can a ect the whole spectrum of people with covid-19, from those with very mild acute disease to the most severe forms. Like acute covid-19, long covid can involve multiple organs and can a ect many systems including, but not limited to, the respiratory, cardiovascular, neurological, gastrointestinal, and musculoskeletal systems. The symptoms of long covid include fatigue, dyspnea, cardiac abnormalities, cognitive impairment, sleep disturbances, symptoms of post- traumatic stress disorder, muscle pain, concentration problems, and headache. This review summarizes studies of the long term e ects of covid-19 in hospitalized and non-hospitalized patients and describes the persistent symptoms they endure. Risk factors for acute covid-19 and long covid and possible therapeutic options are also discussed.