**Long COVID: A Lingering Pandemic Aftermath Affecting Millions, New Report Finds**
In a sobering update on the state of health in the United States, a report released by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine on Wednesday has shed light on the ongoing battle against Long COVID, a condition continuing to affect millions four years into the pandemic. The comprehensive document highlights the complexity of diagnosing, measuring, and treating Long COVID, a disease that has perplexed the medical community and varied widely in its presentation among individuals.
Dr. Paul Volberding, the chair of the committee responsible for the report and a professor emeritus at the University of California, San Francisco, emphasized the disease’s unpredictable nature. “Long COVID can present differently from person to person and can either resolve within weeks or persist for months or years,” he stated, underlining the disease’s capacity to disrupt lives significantly.
The report’s findings are alarming, indicating that nearly 18 million adults and almost 1 million children in the United States have experienced Long COVID at some point. Despite a decrease in prevalence in 2023, the condition has seen an inexplicable rise this year, with data from January showing nearly 7 percent of U.S. adults currently suffering from Long COVID.
One of the most daunting aspects of Long COVID is the lack of a standardized diagnosis method and a cure, leaving many patients without clear treatment paths. The condition is associated with over 200 symptoms affecting nearly every organ system, making it a highly complex disease to manage.
The report also highlights the socioeconomic and demographic disparities in the impact of Long COVID, noting that the condition poses additional challenges for people facing economic hardships or discrimination based on race, ethnicity, or education level.
As the medical community continues to grapple with Long COVID, the report calls for tailored rehabilitation programs to address the unique needs of each individual affected by the condition. With Long COVID now recognized as a potential chronic illness, the urgency for research, effective treatments, and support mechanisms for those affected has never been more critical.
The findings of this report serve as a stark reminder of the long-term health costs of the pandemic and the need for continued vigilance and resources to combat the lingering effects of COVID-19.