COVID-19: A New Wave of Chronic Disease

Abstract

While the number of deaths and hospitalizations caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and the disease it causes (COVID-19) have captured public attention, a wave of chronic disease is also resulting from the pandemic. Some survivors of COVID-19, even those whose symptoms were too mild to warrant hospitalization, have struggled with persistent symptoms months after initial infection. SARS-CoV-2 affects several body systems and generates a wide variety of symptoms including dyspnea, myalgia, fatigue, and brain fog. It is yet unknown who is at risk of long-term disease, how long these symptoms may last, and what the long-term sequelae of the damage inflicted by this virus may be. NDs must adapt their practices to include consideration of COVID-19 as a differential diagnosis or root cause for a wide range of clinical presentations. The purpose of this article is to review the evidence of some of the longer-term effects and symptoms of COVID-19 that NDs may encounter in clinical practice, with background information on other post-infection syndromes for context.