Federal Government, Clinicians, Employers, and Others Should Adopt New Definition for LC to Aid in Consistent Diagnosis, Documentation, and Treatment

News Release | June 11, 2024

WASHINGTON — A new National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report says the federal government, state and local authorities, clinicians, medical societies and organizations, public health practitioners, employers, educators, and others should adopt a new definition for “Long COVID” — that it is an infection-associated chronic condition that occurs after COVID-19 infection and is present for at least three months as a continuous, relapsing and remitting, or progressive disease state that affects one or more organ systems.

• single or multiple symptoms, such as shortness of breath, cough, persistent fatigue, post-exertional malaise, difficulty concentrating, memory changes, recurring headache, lightheadedness, fast heart rate, sleep disturbance, problems with taste or smell, bloating, constipation, and diarrhea.
• Single or multiple diagnosable conditions, such as interstitial lung disease and hypoxemia, cardiovascular disease and arrhythmias, cognitive impairment, mood disorders, anxiety, migraine, stroke, blood clots, chronic kidney disease, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and other forms of dysautonomia, myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), fibromyalgia, connective tissue diseases, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, and autoimmune disorders such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and Sjögren’s syndrome.

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