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I’m Scott Beach, and this is Quick Takes.
In outpatient practices, physicians often encounter patients attributing long-term symptoms to COVID-19. This condition has various names: Long COVID, post-COVID syndrome, or more formally, postacute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC). Some studies indicate that up to 50% of patients may experience long COVID, whereas others suggest a more conservative estimate of 5%–10%. The risk appears to increase with each subsequent COVID-19 infection. Identified risk factors include female gender; older age; having had a severe infection; smoking; elevated body mass index; preexisting conditions, such as asthma or diabetes; and certain autoimmune diseases.
The most commonly reported symptom is fatigue, followed by neurocognitive impairment—often referred to as brain fog, cardiorespiratory issues, and persistent changes in smell or taste. Psychological symptoms like depression and anxiety are also notable, though they may represent more subacute manifestations of COVID-19, particularly prevalent in patients with preexisting mental health
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