NASEM Proposes New Definition For Long COVID

MedPage Today (6/11, DePeau-Wilson) says, “A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) offers a new definition of long COVID in an effort to streamline the diagnosis and treatment of the condition, which has serious medical, social, and economic consequences for patients, according to the authoring committee.” The condition “should now be defined as an infection-related chronic condition that occurs after COVID-19 and remains present for at least 3 months ‘as a continuous, relapsing and remitting, or progressive disease state that affects one or more organ systems,’ the committee wrote.” This “definition does not require laboratory confirmation or other proof of initial infection.” HealthDay (6/11, Thompson) reports, “Long COVID can start just after the initial infection or it can be delayed in onset by weeks or months, the definition says. A person could have suffered from no symptoms during their initial infection and still get Long COVID.” Symptoms include “shortness of breath, cough, persistent fatigue, post-exertional malaise, difficulty concentrating, memory changes, recurring headache, lightheadedness, rapid heart rate, sleep disturbance, problems with taste or smell, bloating, constipation and diarrhea.” Medscape (6/11, Tucker, Subscription Publication) also reports.