long COVID

noun

variants or less commonly long COVID-19 or long-haul COVID or long-haul COVID-19
: a condition that is marked by the presence of symptoms (such as fatigue, cough, shortness of breath, headache, or brain fog) which persist for an extended period of time (such as weeks or months) following a person's initial recovery from COVID-19 infection : post-covid syndrome
The sickest COVID-19 patients are not the only ones to suffer from long COVID. Patients who had a milder initial case that didn't result in hospitalization can also have persistent symptoms.Stephanie LaVergne
Because of the growing number of long COVID patients, more hospitals are creating outpatient clinics with multiple specialists or expanding centers that initially focused only on patients leaving intensive care units.Meredith Cohn
Ceresa is one of a growing number of COVID-19 survivors with serious symptoms that last far beyond the acute infection with the virus. Some of these patients, often referred to as 'long-haulers' or people with long COVID-19 … are receiving treatment at … clinics like the one at Mount Sinai.Kevin Loria
long-haul COVID-19 refers to the ongoing adverse health effects of coronavirus infection, which can last for weeks, and even months, after the initial phase of their illness has passed.Eve Glazier and Elizabeth Ko

Examples of long COVID in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Samms has had a rough few years, as she has been hit pretty hard with long COVID, and was unable to leave her hometown of London for outside work. Rosemary Rossi, Variety, 3 Sep. 2024 Researchers categorized those with long COVID through a scoring system using such symptoms as brain fog, gastrointestinal problems, dizziness and palpitations. Adriel Bettelheim, Axios, 13 Aug. 2024 Most people with long COVID see improvement after three months, and other people may see improvement up to six months after the virus, according to the CDC. Alex Groth, Journal Sentinel, 16 Sep. 2024 Navarro had been out of the group due to symptoms from long COVID and was replaced on the road in recent years by former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist/Pearl Jam multi-instrumentalist Josh Klinghoffer and Queens of the Stone Age’s Troy Van Leeuwen. Spin Staff, SPIN, 14 Sep. 2024 According to his family, the 83-year-old had been suffering from long COVID in recent months. Julia Carneiro, NPR, 6 Sep. 2024 People with long COVID can experience fatigue, difficulty breathing, heart palpitations, and difficulty concentrating, among other symptoms. Taylor Dutch, SELF, 5 Sep. 2024 For Samms, her short stints on General Hospital in more recent years are partly due to her struggles with long COVID. Jp Mangalindan, Peoplemag, 4 Sep. 2024 Among unvaccinated people, long COVID rates dipped from about 10.4 percent to 7.8 percent over the same time frame. Lisa Rapaport, EverydayHealth.com, 23 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

2020, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of long COVID was in 2020

Dictionary Entries Near long COVID

Cite this Entry

“Long COVID.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/long%20COVID. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

long COVID

noun
variants also long COVID-19
: a condition that is marked by the presence of symptoms which persist for an extended period of time following a person's initial recovery from COVID-19 infection

Medical Definition

long COVID

noun
variants also long COVID-19 or long-haul COVID or long-haul COVID-19
: a condition that is marked by the presence of symptoms (such as fatigue, cough, shortness of breath, headache, or brain fog) which persist for an extended period of time (such as weeks or months) following a person's initial recovery from COVID-19 infection : post-covid syndrome
… there's no clear way to diagnose long COVID and no standard treatment protocol. Some long haulers feel better after a couple of weeks following the initial infection, but then fall ill to old or even new disease-related symptoms that may affect multiple organs and systems weeks or months later. For others … their symptoms never fully abate after the initial infection; they just linger.Melba Newsome, Charlotte (North Carolina) Observer
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is set to release interim guidance for physicians treating patients with long COVID-19Congressional Quarterly News
long-haul COVID-19 refers to the ongoing adverse health effects of coronavirus infection, which can last for weeks, and even months, after the initial phase of their illness has passed.Eve Glazier and Elizabeth Ko, Chicago Daily Herald
Long-haul COVID patients tend to exhibit the kinds of symptoms about which disability case reviewers have historically been skeptical, if not downright hostile. These include chronic fatigue, nonspecific body and nerve pain, headaches and persistent confusion known as "brain fog."Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times
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