Post-COVID Syndrome- An Editorial

Abstract

Two and a quarter year have passed after the declaration of COVID-19 pandemic, yet the world continues to face new wave with new variant and its devastating effect on health. The world also faces its tremendous social and economic consequences, globally ^[1].

Healthcare mainly focuses on acute illness ^[2–4], long-term consequences have become evident ^[5,6]. Symptoms in COVID-19 may persist for several weeks after acute infection ^[7]. Symptoms persisting for more than three weeks after the diagnosis of COVID-19 characterize the post-COVID syndrome. Post-COVID syndrome is being increasingly recognized as a new clinical entity. Post-COVID syndrome was first described in spring 2020.

Post-COVID syndrome was first defined by Greenhalgh et al. as COVID-19 associated-illness extending for more than three weeks after the onset of symptoms. Currently, there is no universally accepted definition of post-COVID syndrome.   

The incidence of post-COVID syndrome ranges from 10% to 35%, incidence increases as high as 85% in hospitalised patients and severe COVID-19 patients. 

The most common post-COVID symptoms include fatigue, dyspnea, olfactory and gustatory dysfunction, chest pain, myalgia, and sleep and mental disorders ^[6–10].

There is no consensus on the classification of post-COVID syndrome. Multi-factorial pathogenesis, such as inflammation, nervous system dysfunction, endothelial damage, and thromboembolism are responsible for post-COVID syndrome.

 As days are going, more and more post-COVID symptomes are recognised. Further research is needed in order to elucidate the incidence, clinical spectrum, pathogenesis, and prognosis of this new clinical entity.