Uncovering the Prevalence and Impacts of Long Covid: Insights from Leading Researchers and Policymakers

Washington D.C., District of Columbia United States of America
Approximately 7% of U.S. adults had suffered from long Covid as of early last year.
It is important to continue researching long Covid to better understand its causes and develop effective treatments.
Long covid can result in new onset of behavioral health conditions or aggravate complications for those with pre-existing mental health conditions and substance use disorders.
Long Covid symptoms include fatigue, brain fog, post-exertional malaise, coughing, fever and difficulty breathing.
One study found that one in ten people infected with Covid-19 during pregnancy developed long covid.
Women were more likely than men to report long covid symptoms in every age group (9% vs. 5%).
Uncovering the Prevalence and Impacts of Long Covid: Insights from Leading Researchers and Policymakers

Long Covid, a condition characterized by symptoms that persist for three months or more after an initial Covid-19 infection, is a growing public health challenge worldwide. According to recent reports, tens of millions of people may be affected by this condition. On July 25, 2024 at 9:00 a.m. ET, Washington Post Live will feature conversations with leading policymakers, medical researchers and first-hand accounts about the causes, prevalence and long-term impacts of long Covid.

The JAMA Data Brief reported that approximately 7% of U.S. adults had suffered from long Covid as of early last year. Long covid symptoms include fatigue, brain fog, post-exertional malaise, coughing, fever and difficulty breathing according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Women were more likely than men to report long covid symptoms in every age group (9% vs. 5%), as were White and Hispanic survey respondents.

One study published in Obstetrics and Gynecology found that one in ten people infected with Covid-19 during pregnancy developed long covid. Long covid symptoms such as malaise, fatigue, and gastrointestinal issues were found to persist for up to 10 months after initial infection.

Long covid can result in new onset of behavioral health conditions or aggravate complications for those with pre-existing mental health conditions and substance use disorders. In 2022, around 7 percent of the entire US adult population reported having long covid.

It is important to note that successful treatments for long Covid are more likely to come from investigations into biological differences rather than imposition of a functional neurological disorder (FND) diagnosis. Brain scan studies show differences in cerebral activity between those with and without FND diagnoses but do not establish causal relationships or prove the diagnosis.

These sources provide valuable information about long Covid, its prevalence, symptoms, and potential impacts on individuals' health and well-being. It is crucial to continue researching this condition to better understand its causes and develop effective treatments.


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Confidence

90%

Doubts
  • It's unclear if the prevalence rate of long covid is increasing or decreasing over time.
  • The study on long covid in pregnant women only had one publication as of now.

Sources

100%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

About 7 percent of U.S. adults have had long covid, report says

The Fixing Site: A Summary of the Article. Ian McMahan Monday, 15 July 2024 09:30
  • Unique Points
    • About 7% of U.S. adults, or nearly 18 million people, had long covid as of early last year according to a report in JAMA Data Brief.
    • Long covid is defined as a condition with symptoms lasting three months or longer after an initial covid-19 infection according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
    • Women were more likely than men to report long covid symptoms in every age group (9% vs. 5%).
    • White and Hispanic survey respondents were also more likely to report having long covid.
    • Long covid can include symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog, post-exertional malaise, coughing, fever and difficulty breathing according to the CDC.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

100%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

The looming public health challenge of long covid

The Fixing Site: A Summary of the Article. Washington Post Tuesday, 09 July 2024 14:27
  • Unique Points
    • Long covid is a growing public health challenge worldwide.
    • Tens of millions of people may be affected by lingering post-infection symptoms.
    • On Thursday, July 25 at 9:00 a.m. ET, Washington Post Live will feature conversations with leading policymakers, medical researchers and first-hand accounts about long covid.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

78%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Functional neurological disorder is not an appropriate diagnosis for people with long Covid

STAT News David Tuller, Monday, 15 July 2024 08:30
  • Unique Points
    • Long Covid is an umbrella term for prolonged symptoms after an acute bout of Covid-19.
    • Functional neurological disorder (FND) has been suggested as an explanation for long Covid but is based on speculation and assumption.
    • Successful treatments for long Covid are more likely to come from investigations into biological differences rather than imposition of FND diagnosis.
    • Brain scan studies show differences in cerebral activity between those with and without FND diagnoses but do not establish causal relationships or prove the diagnosis.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (85%)
    The authors make several appeals to authority and use inflammatory rhetoric towards the diagnosis of Functional Neurological Disorder (FND). They dismiss FND as being based on speculation and assumption, despite acknowledging that there is a lack of a better explanation for some long Covid symptoms. The authors also describe FND as having 'historical baggage' and associate it with the outdated diagnosis of conversion disorder. This language is inflammatory and does not contribute to an objective analysis of the diagnosis. Additionally, they claim that successful treatments for long Covid are more likely to come from investigations into biological differences rather than from imposing FND as a diagnosis. This statement is an appeal to authority as it assumes that their suggested approach is the correct one without providing evidence.
    • Despite assertions of robust evidence from those most invested in promoting it, the FND construct is based largely on speculation and assumption.
    • ,,The situation hasn’t changed much in the years since.,,,These emerging FND subtypes seem especially poised for growth in the coronavirus era.,,,It is mainly FND proponents who insist that the broad domains of ‘dizziness’ and ‘cognitive symptoms’ fall within their purview. Other scientists and clinicians dismiss the categorization of these and other complex manifestations of long Covid as forms of FND.
    • ,,New studies document daily the long-term impacts of an acute coronavirus infection on multiple organ systems in the body, including the central nervous system.,,,To address this urgent medical issue, it is unnecessary and unhelpful to resort to categorical diagnostic assertions largely based – as was conversion disorder – on questionable arguments and unconvincing research claims.
  • Bias (10%)
    The authors express their disagreement with the suggestion that Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) is an appropriate diagnosis for long Covid. They argue that FND is based on speculation and assumption, and that successful treatments are more likely to emerge from investigations into the biological differences associated with long Covid. The authors also criticize the historical baggage of FND, which they describe as a problem with the brain's 'software' rather than its 'hardware'. They argue that this perspective is impossible to prove or disprove and that it risks overlooking other potential diagnoses or abnormal biological mechanisms.
    • Despite assertions of robust evidence from those most invested in promoting it, the FND construct is based largely on speculation and assumption.
      • Following this line of thinking, recommended FND treatments include forms of psychotherapy and physical therapy specifically designed to address the presumed problems with the brain’s 'predictive machinery' or 'software.'
        • However, if a patient is subsequently found to have Parkinson’s or multiple sclerosis or another disease, their earlier FND diagnosis is not necessarily rendered obsolete; rather, the patient is often said to have an FND ‘overlay’ or comorbidity.
          • It is unnecessary and unhelpful to resort to categorical diagnostic assertions largely based on questionable arguments and unconvincing research claims.
          • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication

          98%

          The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
          (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

          A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

          Behavioral Health Impacts of Long COVID - Policy to Action

          SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) Monday, 15 July 2024 14:18
          • Unique Points
            • Millions of Americans continue to struggle with economic and social effects of the pandemic.
            • Long COVID symptoms include fatigue, difficulty concentrating, shortness of breath, chest pain, heart palpitations, cough, joint or muscle pain.
            • About a quarter of people with Long COVID experience significant activity limitations.
            • In 2022 around 7 percent of the entire US adult population reported having Long COVID.
            • Long COVID can result in new onset of behavioral health conditions or aggravate complications for those with pre-existing mental health conditions and substance use disorders.
          • Accuracy
            No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
          • Deception (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Fallacies (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Bias (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication

          100%

          The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
          (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

          A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

          1 in 10 people infected during pregnancy develop long covid, study finds

          The Fixing Site: A Summary of the Article. Sabrina Malhi Thursday, 11 July 2024 21:29
          • Unique Points
            • One in ten people infected with COVID-19 during pregnancy developed long covid according to a study published in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
            • Long covid symptoms such as malaise, fatigue, and gastrointestinal issues were found to persist for up to 10 months after initial infection.
            • The study highlights the importance of ongoing care for patients with chronic conditions after pregnancy.
          • Accuracy
            No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
          • Deception (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Fallacies (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Bias (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication