WHO Fact Sheet: Post COVID-19 condition (long COVID)

SNT Gatchaman

SNT Gatchaman

Senior Member (Voting Rights)
Staff member
Link (26 February 2025)

Key facts
  • Most patients with COVID-19 recover fully, but some develop post COVID-19 condition with medium- to long-term effects on one or more body systems.
  • Approximately 6 in every 100 people who have COVID-19 develop post COVID-19 condition.
  • While data are limited, the chance of developing post COVID-19 condition appears to be lower now than earlier in the pandemic. However, the virus is still circulating widely, and every new infection is associated with a risk.
  • Fatigue, breathlessness, muscle or joint pain, and impaired sleep are common symptoms of post-COVID-19 condition.
  • WHO is working to develop clinical practice guidelines for management of post COVID-19 condition.
  • Health-care providers can guide patients on self-management of symptoms and offer medication for symptom relief or referral for rehabilitation services as needed.

With increasing understanding of post COVID-19 condition, some clinical patterns have become clearer. There are symptoms which tend to occur together, for example those related to dizziness and low blood pressure when standing (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS)), symptoms of post exertional malaise, or myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) (7).
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Many symptoms and functional impairment can be managed effectively by rehabilitation, and with careful communication between primary care practitioners and medical specialists.
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Most patients with COVID-19 recover fully,

Well, they seem to. Bit early to be making such a definitive statement.

Not unreasonable possibility there might be long-term consequences emerging a few years/decades down the track. See Post-Polio Syndrome.
 
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