Long-term clinical outcomes and prognosis

This chapter presents the long-term clinical outcomes and prognosis of COVID-19. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has triggered a global pandemic infecting over 773 million people and causing over seven million deaths worldwide as of December 2023 (WHO Coronavirus). Despite the United Nations proclaimed the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic officially over on May 5th, 2023 (Statement on the 15th meeting of the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee), the global health community now confronts a more complex challenge: addressing the elusive and persistent health complications that follow the acute phase of COVID-19 infection. Current research, which is mainly observational and descriptive, consistently reports widespread effects on multiple organs and systems from COVID-19, especially the cardiovascular system, with lingering symptoms and measurable changes enduring beyond the acute phase and after the infection has cleared. The far-reaching acute consequences of COVID-19 have been extensively discussed and carefully investigated; however, the long-term effects are less known, as the global scientific community is beginning now to appreciate their impact.