The latest on long COVID
What we know (and what we still don't know).
- Reviewed by Howard E. LeWine, MD, Chief Medical Editor, Harvard Health Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
While the COVID pandemic has largely faded into the background, one aspect of the virus continues to linger: long COVID. Long COVID is defined as the continuation or development of new symptoms at least three months after the initial infection from SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID) without any other explanation. Long COVID affects an estimated 6% to 11% of adults who have had COVID, according to the most recent statistics from the CDC, and scientists continue to learn more about how it affects people and its possible long-term effects. To help answer some of the more common questions about long COVID, we turned to Dr. Michael VanElzakker, a neuroscientist and long COVID researcher at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital.
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About the Author
Matthew Solan, Executive Editor, Harvard Men's Health Watch
About the Reviewer
Howard E. LeWine, MD, Chief Medical Editor, Harvard Health Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
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