Topical Collection Information
Dear Colleagues,
With estimates of Long-haul COVID, also known as PASC (post-acute sequelae SARS-CoV-2 infection), increasing to above 30 percent of COVID-19 infected patients, it is time to recognize the existence of multiple
Post Active Phase of Infection Syndromes (PAPIS) and focus attention on the appropriate mechanisms for diagnosing, treating and curing these devastating illnesses and their societal impact. The inventory of symptoms of Long-haul COVID-19 patients, many of whom never achieve pre-illness levels of wellness, is not unique to this chronic illness but echoes the symptoms of other post-acute phases of infection patients described in the medical literature. Examples of other illnesses that should be considered included are: Coxsackie B, Ebola, Epstein-Barr virus, Herpes viruses, myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome,post-polio syndrome, and Zika virus. While the aforementioned are all viral infections, there is also an overlap of symptoms with conditions of non-viral origin such as chronic Lyme disease and untreated syphilis. Fungal infections, as well as chemical and other environmental sensitivities, may be additional triggers of PAPIS. This suggests that untreated and undertreated parasitic, viral and bacterial infections and other triggers should all be considered for study and comparison.
More productive research is urgently needed to enhance our understanding of the underlying pathophysiology or pathophysiologies of these conditions and to enable more effective patient care.
The intent of the
PAPIS Topical Collection is broad. We welcome descriptions of syndromes satisfying the broad case definition of PAPIS, improved case definitions of the diseases satisfying the PAPIS criteria, proposed mechanisms of pathophysiology, outcomes of treatment trials and case reports of PAPIS diseases, and both pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches to PAPIS patient management. Because of the unprecedented number of PAPIS patients anticipated worldwide in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, manuscripts concerning the economic, public health and societal experiences of PAPIS patients fall within the purview of the
PAPIS Topical Collection.
Prof. Dr. Kenneth Friedman
Dr. Patricia A. Fennell
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Healthcare is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
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Published Papers
This collection is now open for submission.
