Severe Long-Term COVID-19 Aftereffects Can Lead to Death... Symptoms Like Breathing Difficulties Persist Even One Year After Recovery

Long-term Sequelae of COVID-19: Additional Data Review Needed to Determine if They Are a Definitive Cause of Death
CDC "Ongoing Investigation into Death Cases Related to Long-term COVID-19 Sequelae"

An 8-year-old child is receiving the third dose (booster shot) of the COVID-19 vaccine at a pharmacy in Schwenksville, Pennsylvania, USA, on the 2nd (local time). Following the U.S. authorities' approval of booster shots for children aged 5 to 11 on the 17th, they announced plans to begin COVID-19 vaccinations for children under 5 as early as the 21st. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Nayeon] As the number of domestic COVID-19 cases declines, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has raised concerns that in severe cases, long-term aftereffects of COVID-19, known as "long COVID," could lead to patient death.

According to an analysis by the CDC of medical records of over 2 million people, including 353,000 COVID-19 patients during the first year and a half of the pandemic, a significant portion of Americans are suffering from long COVID.

Long COVID refers to the condition where symptoms related to COVID-19 persist for months even after recovery from the initial infection. The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), under the CDC, has identified 120 death cases suspected to be caused by COVID-19 or related aftereffects, according to a report by the U.S. political news outlet Politico on the 3rd (local time).

This investigation involved searching death certificates signed by doctors or coroners where causes of death included terms like "long COVID." The NCHS reportedly found 60 such cases in 2021 and another 60 cases up to May 2022.

However, since academic circles and U.S. health authorities have yet to establish diagnostic criteria for long COVID, there are concerns that the information on death certificates cannot be fully trusted.

It is possible that some death certificates list long COVID as the cause of death even though the patient did not suffer from long COVID, or conversely, that some patients with long COVID had their cause of death recorded under different terms or entirely different causes.

The nature of long-term COVID-19 aftereffects remains largely unknown, its prevalence is not well established, and treatment development is still uncertain.

The CDC told Politico, "We are continuing to verify death cases caused by long-term COVID-19 aftereffects" and "Specific numbers will be released soon."

Although there are no official guidelines, frontline medical staff often diagnose long COVID based on their own professional judgment.

Politico reported that among patients with a history of COVID-19 infection, many are concluded to have long COVID if symptoms such as prolonged fatigue, difficulty breathing, or brain fog persist for an extended period.

Meanwhile, a report by researchers at Kochi University in Japan, who surveyed about 1,000 COVID-19 patients, found that approximately 14% of patients with moderate or more severe COVID-19 symptoms complained of aftereffects such as muscle weakness or breathing difficulties even one year after recovery, NHK reported.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.