Editorial: Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection (PASC). Updated Terminology for the Long-Term Effects of COVID-19.

Abstract

Most studies on the long-term effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection have been retrospective, have lacked an uninfected comparison group, and have focussed on the prevalence of individual symptoms, resulting in different estimates of prevalence. Recognizing the range and complex interactions between the many long-term effects of COVID-19 is essential before effective prevention or management strategies can be investigated and implemented. Therefore, the term, long COVID, is too simplistic, and there are reasons to replace it with the term, post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC). The National Institutes of Health (NIH) have established the Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) Consortium, a prospective longitudinal cohort initiative to learn about the long-term effects of COVID-19. Analysis of the RECOVER data identified 37 symptoms involving multiple systems at 6 months. This Editorial aims to present the range and complex interactions between the many long-term effects of COVID-19 that support the updated terminology of PASC.