Considerations about long COVID

Authors

  • Flor Betzabet Morocho Quinchuela
  • María José Guzmán-Chango
  • Josué Sebastián Chasi-Benavides
  • Carlos Alfredo Mayorga-Frías

Keywords:

Long COVID, persistent COVID, COVID-19, post COVID-19 syndrome, PRISMA 2020 methodology.

Abstract

Introduction: Long COVID refers to a variety of symptoms that persist or develop after a person has recovered from acute COVID-19.
Objective: The purpose of this research was to evaluate the Long COVID.
Methods: The study belonged to the exploratory level, developing a systematic review using PRISMA 2020 methodology, in SCOPUS and the Web of Science, in 102 articles published from 2018 to 2023.
Results: The evidence showed that a significant proportion of patients who have recovered from COVID-19 may experience various long-term symptoms including fatigue, dyspnea, muscle and joint pain, headaches, sleep disturbances, anxiety, and depression, among others. To make its timely diagnosis, it is important to consider several symptoms and risk factors such as: various symptoms and associated biomarkers; fatigue; headache; difficulty concentrating; dyspnea; elevated C-reactive protein levels; and reduced lymphocyte levels.
Conclusions: It was concluded that, although the exact cause of Long COVID is not yet fully understood, it may be related to the body's immune response to the initial infection. There is no specific treatment and symptom management is mainly supportive and based on the patient's individual symptoms. The authors of this literature review suggest several future studies regarding Long COVID.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Published

2023-07-02

How to Cite

1.
Morocho Quinchuela FB, Guzmán-Chango MJ, Chasi-Benavides JS, Mayorga-Frías CA. Considerations about long COVID. Rev Cubana Inv Bioméd [Internet]. 2023 Jul. 2 [cited 2025 Aug. 2];42(2). Available from: https://revibiomedica.sld.cu/index.php/ibi/article/view/2906