5 big questions we still need to answer about long covid (Opinion)

(Washington Post) We are nearly three years into the covid-19 pandemic, and the debate about the need for health measures such as vaccine and mask mandates is as hot as ever. One big reason for that: long covid. What even is “long covid”? Broadly speaking, the condition refers to any symptoms persisting weeks to months after an initial covid infection. But dozens of symptoms have been attributed to long covid — some mild or annoying, such as persistent loss of taste or smell, and others more severe, such as extreme fatigue or cognitive dysfunction (or “brain fog”). As a result, health agencies still do not have a uniform definition, and doctors lack clear guidance for diagnosing it. It would not be surprising to eventually find out that we have been lumping multiple distinct post-covid syndromes under one umbrella.