World Health Organization Long COVID diagnostic criteria

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World Health Organization Long COVID diagnostic criteria, also known as the clinical case definition of post COVID-19 condition.

Definition[edit | edit source]

Post COVID-19 condition occurs in individuals with a history of probable or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, usually 3 months from the onset of COVID-19 with symptoms that last for at least 2 months and cannot be explained by an alternative diagnosis.
Common symptoms include fatigue, shortness of breath, cognitive dysfunction but also others and generally have an impact on everyday functioning. Symptoms may be new onset following initial recovery from an acute COVID-19 episode or persist from the initial illness. Symptoms may also fluctuate or relapse over time.[1]

A separate definition may be applicable for children.

Notes:
There is no minimal number of symptoms required for the diagnosis; though symptoms involving different organs systems and clusters have been described.

Definitions:

Fluctuate
a change from time to time in quantity or quality.
Relapse
return of disease manifestations after period of improvement.
Cluster
two or more symptoms that are related to each other and that occur together. They are composed of stable groups of symptoms, are relatively independent of other clusters, and may reveal specific underlying dimensions of symptoms (32).

Annex 2 list of symptoms[edit | edit source]

Easy read version[edit | edit source]

Post COVID-19 condition ("Long COVID") definition

  • history of probable or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection
  • lasts 2 months from the start of COVID-19 (or 3 months for asymptomatic COVID-19)
  • can't be explained by an alternative diagnosis
  • no minimum number of symptoms
  • symptoms generally affect day to day functioning
  • new onset of symptoms - symptoms begin after recovery from COVID-19 or begin at the start of COVID-19 and persist
  • symptoms can fluctuate or improve then relapse over time

Common symptoms:

  • fatigue
  • shortness of breath
  • cognitive dysfunction but also others

Other symptoms:


Notes:

  • Children - separate criteria may be needed
  • Clusters - clusters of 2 or more related symptoms may occur together[1]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Soriano, Joan B.; Allan, Maya; Alsokhn, Carine; Alwan, Nisreen A.; Askie, Lisa; Davis, Hannah E.; Diaz, Janet V.; Dua, Tarun; de Groote, Wouter; Jakob, Robert; Lado, Marta; Marshall, John; Murthy, Srin; Preller, Jacobus; Relan, Pryanka; Schiess, Nicoline; Seahwag, Archana (October 6, 2021), A clinical case definition of post COVID-19 condition by a Delphi consensus, World Health Organization (WHO) clinical case definition working group on post COVID-19 condition, World Health Organization, p. 11

See also[edit | edit source]

Learn more[edit | edit source]