Symptoms, complications and management of long COVID: a review

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  • Olalekan Lee Aiyegbusi
    Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
  • Sarah E Hughes
    Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
  • Grace Turner
    Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
  • Samantha Cruz Rivera
    Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
  • Christel McMullan
    Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
  • Joht Singh Chandan
    Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
  • Shamil Haroon
    Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
  • Gary Price
    Centre for Patient Reported Outcomes Research, Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
  • Elin Haf Davies
    Aparito Limited, Wrexham, UK
  • Krishnarajah Nirantharakumar
    Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
  • Elizabeth Sapey
    Birmingham Acute Care Research Group, Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
  • Melanie J Calvert
    Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK

Description

<jats:p> Globally, there are now over 160 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 and more than 3 million deaths. While the majority of infected individuals recover, a significant proportion continue to experience symptoms and complications after their acute illness. Patients with ‘long COVID’ experience a wide range of physical and mental/psychological symptoms. Pooled prevalence data showed the 10 most prevalent reported symptoms were fatigue, shortness of breath, muscle pain, joint pain, headache, cough, chest pain, altered smell, altered taste and diarrhoea. Other common symptoms were cognitive impairment, memory loss, anxiety and sleep disorders. Beyond symptoms and complications, people with long COVID often reported impaired quality of life, mental health and employment issues. These individuals may require multidisciplinary care involving the long-term monitoring of symptoms, to identify potential complications, physical rehabilitation, mental health and social services support. Resilient healthcare systems are needed to ensure efficient and effective responses to future health challenges. </jats:p>

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