What You Need To Know
- Long covid (prolonged symptoms following covid-19 infection) is common
- The mainstay of management is supportive, holistic care, symptom control, and detection of treatable complications
- Many patients can be supported effectively in primary care by a GP with a special interest
The term “long covid” refers to prolonged symptoms following infection with SARS-CoV-2 that are not explained by an alternative diagnosis. It embraces the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)’s terms “ongoing symptomatic covid-19” (symptoms lasting 4-12 weeks) and “post covid-19 syndrome” (symptoms beyond 12 weeks), the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s group of “post-covid conditions,” and the World Health Organization’s “post covid-19 condition.”
Source: The BMJ
