https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5167-6903
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C R Rayner, K Burton, E B MacDonald, Guidelines for a sustainable return to work with long COVID, Occupational Medicine, Volume 75, Issue 1, January 2025, Pages 9–13, https://doi.org/10.1093/occmed/kqae141
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Introduction
Several definitions of long coronavirus disease (COVID) have been used but as research is now defining the clinical issues, long COVID is best defined as ‘an infection-associated chronic condition that occurs after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and is present for at least 3 months as a continuous, relapsing and remitting, or progressive disease state that affects one or more organ systems’ [1]. or ‘the constellation of post-acute and long-term health effects caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection’ [2]
The virus infects through blood vessels and therefore can affect any part of the body. Whilst initial definitions such as NICE guidance [3] excluded organ damage it is now apparent that most people with long COVID have a combination of health problems affecting multiple parts of the body. Long COVID is therefore a syndrome that includes a wide variety of symptoms and presentations, all related to a past infection with COVID-19. Each patient is different; some may be profoundly affected, while for others, symptoms may have little or no impact on their day-to-day activities. Research studies have recently identified specific blood biomarkers that are associated with underlying types of LC subgroups but these tests cannot yet be used to guide treatment [4]. Currently, therefore, we need to use symptom-based assessments to guide different treatment or rehabilitation strategies rather than blood tests [1].
