Long-term Health Consequences of COVID-19
Carlos del Rı́o, Lauren F. Collins, Preeti Malani
Abstract
With more than 30 million documented infections and 1 million deaths worldwide, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues unabated. The clinical spectrum of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) 2 infection ranges from asymptomatic infection to life-threatening and fatal disease. Current estimates are that approximately 20 million people globally have "recovered"; however, clinicians are observing and reading reports of patients with persistent severe symptoms and even substantial end-organ dysfunction after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Because COVID-19 is a new disease, much about the clinical course remains uncertain-in particular, the possible long-term health consequences, if any.