Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2024 May 31;14(11):1168.
doi: 10.3390/diagnostics14111168.

A Comprehensive Review of the Global Epidemiology, Clinical Management, Socio-Economic Impacts, and National Responses to Long COVID with Future Research Directions

Xiufang Song  1   2 , Weiwei Song  3   4 , Lizhen Cui  5 , Tim Q Duong  6 , Rajiv Pandy  7 , Hongdou Liu  8 , Qun Zhou  9 , Jiayao Sun  9 , Yanli Liu  1   2 , Tong Li  10
Affiliations
Review

A Comprehensive Review of the Global Epidemiology, Clinical Management, Socio-Economic Impacts, and National Responses to Long COVID with Future Research Directions

Xiufang Song et al. Diagnostics (Basel). .

Abstract

Background: Long COVID, characterized by a persistent symptom spectrum following SARS-CoV-2 infection, poses significant health, social, and economic challenges. This review aims to consolidate knowledge on its epidemiology, clinical features, and underlying mechanisms to guide global responses; Methods: We conducted a literature review, analyzing peer-reviewed articles and reports to gather comprehensive data on long COVID's epidemiology, symptomatology, and management approaches; Results: Our analysis revealed a wide array of long COVID symptoms and risk factors, with notable demographic variability. The current understanding of its pathophysiology suggests a multifactorial origin yet remains partially understood. Emerging diagnostic criteria and potential therapeutic strategies were identified, highlighting advancements in long COVID management; Conclusions: This review highlights the multifaceted nature of long COVID, revealing a broad spectrum of symptoms, diverse risk factors, and the complex interplay of physiological mechanisms underpinning the condition. Long COVID symptoms and disorders will continue to weigh on healthcare systems in years to come. Addressing long COVID requires a holistic management strategy that integrates clinical care, social support, and policy initiatives. The findings underscore the need for increased international cooperation in research and health planning to address the complex challenges of long COVID. There is a call for continued refinement of diagnostic and treatment modalities, emphasizing a multidisciplinary approach to manage the ongoing and evolving impacts of the condition.

Keywords: coronavirus risk factors; counter-measure; multisystem impact; public health response.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The framework of long COVID comprehensive review work.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Some common symptoms of long COVID. Over 200 symptoms of long COVID have been reported in many different studies (adapted from: https://www.design-science.org.uk/news/visualising-long-covid, accessed on 1 May 2020).
Figure 3
Figure 3
The potential pathophysiological mechanisms of long COVID (adapted from: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41392-023-01640-z, accessed on 1 May 2020).
Figure 4
Figure 4
The framework of long COVID management.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. World Health Organization [(accessed on 16 March 2023)]. Available online: https://covid19.who.int/
    1. Logue J.K., Franko N.M., McCulloch D.J., McDonald D., Magedson A., Wolf C.R., Chu H.Y. Sequelae in adults at 6 months after COVID-19 infection. JAMA Netw. Open. 2021;4:e210830. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.0830. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Trihandini I., Muhtar M. The effect of long-haul COVID-19 toward domains of the health-related quality of life among recovered hospitalized patients. Front. Public Health. 2023;11:1068127. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1068127. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Davis H.E., McCorkell L., Vogel J.M., Topol E.J. Long COVID: Major findings, mechanisms and recommendations. Nat. Rev. Microbiol. 2023;21:133–146. doi: 10.1038/s41579-022-00846-2. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Iwasaki A., Putrino D. Why we need a deeper understanding of the pathophysiology of long COVID. Lancet Infect. Dis. 2023;23:393–395. doi: 10.1016/S1473-3099(23)00053-1. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources