The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine have announced a sweeping new definition for long COVID to help affected individuals get recognition and improve diagnosis and treatment. Previous definitions varied significantly, leaving many patients struggling to be acknowledged and receive proper care. Over 1,300 people contributed to this new definition, which adopted the patients’ own term “long COVID” to give validation to those who have been facing challenges due to the condition.
Long COVID is a medical condition that persists for at least three months after an infection with SARS-CoV-2, affecting any organ or system in the body with over 200 possible symptoms. These symptoms can impact individuals who had mild to severe COVID or even those who were asymptomatic, starting weeks or months after the initial infection. There are no biomarkers available for an accurate diagnosis, necessitating continued research for better diagnostic tools as per the National Academies’ report.
The new definition is intentionally inclusive to avoid anyone being left out and to ensure health equity. By not requiring a positive COVID test for a long COVID diagnosis, individuals who couldn’t access testing, had false negative results, or had asymptomatic infections can still be included. The definition may be revised in the future based on new scientific evidence to ensure its accuracy and relevance.
For individuals with long COVID, having the recognition from the National Academy of Medicine will validate their illness and highlight the physical health aspects of the condition rather than dismissing it as a mental health disorder. The broad definition allows patients to advocate for themselves and offers a foundation to challenge skepticism and biases within healthcare providers. Over time, the definition may be refined to include subtypes of long COVID, but for now, the broad approach ensures that individuals with diverse symptoms can have their condition acknowledged and addressed.
