Post-COVID Syndrome in Adults—An Overview

Abstract

This article provides an overview of various aspects related to post-COVID syndrome. Apart from its prevalence, symptoms and sequelae, risk determinants, and psychosocial implications, the pathogenesis of post-COVID condition is discussed in more detail. A focus on thrombo-inflammation in SARS-CoV-2 infection, the role of neutrophil extracellular traps, and the prevalence of venous thromboembolism is made. Moreover, COVID-19 and post-COVID syndrome in immunocompromising conditions, and the impact of vaccination on the prevention and treatment of post-COVID symptoms are reviewed. Autoimmunity is a hallmark of post-COVID syndrome, and, therefore, is another focus of this article. Thus, misdirected cellular and humoral immune responses can enhance the risk of latent autoimmunity in post-COVID syndrome. Facing the high prevalence of COVID-19 cases worldwide, it can be assumed that autoimmune disorders will increase globally over the next few years. Recent advances in identifying genetically determined variants may open the avenue for a better understanding of the susceptibility to and severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection and post-COVID syndrome.

Inflammatory Polymorphisms (IL-6 rs1800796, IL-10 rs1800896, TNF-α rs1800629, and IFITM3 rs12252) Are Not Associated with Post-COVID Symptoms in Previously Hospitalized COVID-19 Survivors

“…Common symptoms include, but are not limited to, fatigue, shortness of breath (dyspnea), and cognitive dysfunction, and generally have an impact on everyday functioning” [ 12 ]. Post-COVID-19 condition or long COVID is a heterogeneous condition, and patients can experience a plethora of symptoms affecting multiple systems [ 13 ]. In fact, more than 100 symptoms affecting the cardiovascular, neurological, immune, respiratory, musculoskeletal, and gastrointestinal systems have been attributed to SARS-CoV-2 since the beginning of the pandemic [ 14 ].…”

COVID-19 Vaccine for Children: Determinants and Beliefs Contributing to Vaccination Decision of Parents in Germany 2021/2022

“…COVID-19 may present various clinical manifestations and undergo different courses [ 3 ]. Current research focuses on conditions that can develop after COVID-19 infections, for example, post COVID-19 syndrome, and investigates the association between such conditions and the presence of COVID-19 vaccinations [ 4 , 5 , 6 ]. Due to initially insufficient effective and available therapies, parallel increasing death rates, and virus variants, a worldwide rollout of vaccines was the only solution to achieve a sufficient, population-wide immunity and protection against SARS-CoV-2 in the short term through prevention [ 7 ].…”

Analyzing the Interplay between COVID-19 Viral Load, Inflammatory Markers, and Lymphocyte Subpopulations on the Development of Long COVID

“…The term “Long-COVID” is used to describe the presence of prolonged or recurrent symptoms that persist for at least four weeks after an acute infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus and that cannot be attributed to any other disease, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]. Long COVID has been reported to affect more than 40% of patients who experienced acute COVID-19 infection, and there are even investigations that found its presence in up to 60% of patients [ 6 , 7 ].…”

“…It was observed that after acute infection, some patients experience the persistence of SARS-CoV-2 in various organs, leading to chronic stimulation of the adaptive immune system and subsequent generation of cellular damage due to chronic hyperinflammation. In addition, this hyperinflammatory state can trigger hemostatic changes, such as coagulopathies [ 5 , 14 , 15 , 16 ]. Although some studies suggest that the inflammatory response plays an important role in the development of long COVID, information varies depending on the type of biomarker and its timeline of measurement, for example, if it is measured during acute infection or months/years after infection [ 3 , 6 , 17 ].…”