'Long COVID' syndrome

SARS-CoV-2 has resulted in a global pandemic and an unprecedented public health crisis. Recent literature suggests the emergence of a novel syndrome known as 'long COVID', a term used to describe a diverse set of symptoms that persist after a minimum of 4 weeks from the onset of a diagnosed COVID-19 infection. Common symptoms include persistent breathlessness, fatigue and cough. Other symptoms reported include chest pain, palpitations, neurological and cognitive deficits, rashes, and gastrointestinal dysfunction. We present a complex case of a previously well 28-year-old woman who was diagnosed with COVID-19. After resolution of her acute symptoms, she continued to experience retrosternal discomfort, shortness of breath, poor memory and severe myalgia. Investigations yielded no significant findings. Given no alternative diagnosis, she was diagnosed with 'long COVID'.

Automated summary

SARS-CoV-2 has caused a global pandemic and an unprecedented public health crisis, with recent literature suggesting the emergence of a new syndrome known as 'long COVID'. This syndrome encompasses a diverse set of symptoms that persist for at least 4 weeks after the onset of a diagnosed COVID-19 infection, including breathlessness, fatigue, cough, and potential neurological and gastrointestinal dysfunction.