Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, patients and clinicians reported the persistence of initial symptoms and the onset of new symptoms after the acute phase of SARS-CoV-2 infection, collectively referred to as postacute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC), or more colloquially called long COVID. Persistent anosmia as well as debilitating physical symptoms, such as chronic cough, gastrointestinal symptoms, fatigue, malaise, myalgias, pain, and lack of clarity of thought (“brain fog”), with or without obvious organ dysfunction, were prominent ailments identified by numerous patients after acute COVID-19. This phenomenon has been a major focus of research. Investigators have sought to determine the pathogenesis of illness with a goal of designing effective interventions to mitigate or resolve the symptoms.
Source: JAMA Online First