Since SARS-CoV-2 infection was recognised in late 2019, the academic and clinical emphasis has been on respiratory manifestations .
Post-COVID syndrome appears to be a multisystem disease, occurring even after a relatively mild acute illness. Increasing evidence exists for direct multiorgan effects, and indirect effects on other organ systems and disease processes, such as cardiovascular diseases and cancers, through changes in healthcare delivery and patient behaviors . So, the long term effects of covid-19 on individuals and health systems are becoming clear, investigation across organ systems is urgently needed. Long covid, or post-covid syndrome, is not one condition, and is defined by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) as "signs and symptoms that develop during or after an infection consistent with covid-19 which continue for more than 12 weeks and are not explained by an alternative diagnosis . NICE guidelines recommend referral to post-covid syndrome assessment clinics if post covid symptoms persist for 6-12 weeks . Pre-existing conditions and risk factors are predictors of acute covid-19 outcomes (such as admission to the intensive care unit and mortality, but the epidemiology of postcovid syndrome has been less well defined . Because of the unclear medium and long term pathophysiology across organ systems. When post-covid syndrome clinics are established, characterization of the epidemiology of the disease will help with appropriate diagnosis, care, public health interventions and policy, and resource planning. So, further research is highly indicated.
