Where Things Stand With Long Covid and Its Aftermath

Even though Covid-19 is no longer considered a public health emergency, its legacy will be felt for many years. Beyond the millions of deaths caused by the coronavirus, millions more have suffered the persistent, often debilitating symptoms that have come to be called long Covid. The pandemic had indirect health impacts as well, including deaths from postponed medical care. A large study showing that some Covid patients faced elevated risks for a wide range of conditions, including heart disease and dementia, two years after their infection also suggests that the pandemic’s full consequences will unfold slowly.

There is no solid figure for the pandemic’s death toll. Seven million confirmed Covid deaths have been reported to the World Health Organization, but that’s thought to be an undercount. In the first two years of the pandemic alone, an estimated 15 million more people died globally than would have been expected otherwise, including some who perished because of overburdened health systems. Covid was the third-leading cause of death in the US in 2022, behind heart disease and cancer. In fact, the US saw its biggest two-year decline in life expectancy in a century in 2020 and 2021. Around the world, among Covid patients who were critically ill and survived, an estimated three out of four developed post-intensive care syndrome — a constellation of brain, lung and other physical problems. Even for patients who weren’t hospitalized, Covid increased the risk of developing diabetes and autoimmune diseases, sensory problems and organ damage.