Late sequelae of COVID-19

Details

• Corporate Authors:
  National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (U.S.). Division of Viral Diseases.
• Description:
  Updated Nov. 13, 2020 ; The identification of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 in December 2019 has led to a growing and continually evolving body of knowledge about the virus and the disease it causes, COVID-19. ; In peer-reviewed literature and public discussion, persistent symptoms are being reported among COVID-19 survivors, including individuals who initially experience a mild acute illness. These persistent symptoms pose new challenges to patients, healthcare providers, and public health practitioners. The natural history of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 is a current area of investigation, and the prevalence, type, duration, and severity of persistent symptoms following resolution of acute SARS-CoV-2 infection, as well as risk factors associated with their development, are currently being studied. ; While older patients may have an increased risk for severe disease, young survivors, including those physically-fit prior to SARS-CoV-2 infection, have also reported symptoms months after acute illness (1, 2, 11). Research is underway to differentiate symptoms of a prolonged course of COVID-19 illness from sequelae following resolution of acute SARS-CoV-2 infection, achieve consensus on the time period at which to define the post-acute and long-term phases of COVID-19, and distinguish health effects exclusively related to infection with SARS-CoV-2 from consequences of procedures and treatments required for care of persons with severe disease of any etiology. ; Characterization of the etiology and pathophysiology of late sequelae is underway, and may reflect organ damage from the acute infection phase (17), manifestations of a persistent hyperinflammatory state (27, 31), ongoing viral activity associated with a host viral reservoir (14), or an inadequate antibody response (30). Factors in addition to acute disease that may further complicate the picture include physical deconditioning (10) at baseline or after a long disease course (29), pre-COVID-19 comorbidities (18), and psychological sequelae following a long or difficult disease course (31) as well as those relating to lifestyle changes due to the pandemic (9). Likely, the persistent sequelae of COVID-19 represent multiple syndromes resulting from distinct pathophysiological processes along the spectrum of disease.
• Subjects:
  • Betacoronavirus
  • Coronavirus Infections
  • COVID-19
  • Pandemics
  • Pneumonia, Viral
• Document Type:
  Webpage
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/97200/cdc_97200_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 195.13 KB]
• Collection(s):
  Stephen B. Thacker CDC Library
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:50963176f6e50ebc5ddff8d11ceac510c81567597b1c50999df3c53fd463289a