Long Covid now has a formal definition. Here’s what you need to know

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• The WHO estimated that 10% to 20% of Covid-19 patients experienced lingering symptoms for months following infection.
  
• These prolonged symptoms can include persistent fatigue, breathlessness, brain fog and depression.
  
• Health experts say the condition is clearly of public health concern, given the substantial impact it has on society, ranging from increased health care costs to economic and productivity losses.
  

LONDON — The World Health Organization on Wednesday published a definition of long Covid for the first time, seeking to provide much-needed clarity on one of the most mysterious aspects of the coronavirus pandemic.


Here’s how the U.N. health agency has defined long Covid, referring to it as “post Covid-19 condition,” the name proposed by WHO’s International Classification of Diseases.

“Post COVID-19 condition occurs in individuals with a history of probable or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, usually 3 months from the onset of COVID-19 with symptoms that last for at least 2 months and cannot be explained by an alternative diagnosis,” the WHO said.


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