Volume 30, Issue 172, June 2026

Long covid: A comprehensive review of epidemiology, clinical manifestations and therapeutic approaches

Klaudia Samuła^1♦, Mateusz Szabat², Dominika Ruszel¹, Emilia Goc¹, Julia Rogała¹, Katarzyna Markuszka¹, Kinga Polityńska¹, Martyna Sarzyńska¹, Sylwia Lepak¹, Zuzanna Irzyk¹

¹Faculty of Medicine, Collegium Medicum, University of Rzeszów, Rzeszów, Poland
²Clinical Provincial Hospital No. 2, Rzeszów, Poland

^♦Corresponding author
Klaudia Samuła, Faculty of Medicine, Collegium Medicum, University of Rzeszów, Rzeszów, Poland

ABSTRACT

Long-COVID is a complex post-infection condition defined by symptoms that persist after an acute SARS-CoV-2 infection. These may include newly emerging symptoms or symptoms that persist and occur during recovery and result from the primary SARS-CoV-2 infection. This paper provides a synopsis of what is currently known about long-COVID using a summary of the last several years' literature. Specifically, focus is put on the variability of symptomatology, multiple organ system involvement, as well as the impact on the patient's functional status and overall quality of life. This review also describes the possible mechanisms involved in the persistence of symptoms, including viral persistence, immune system dysfunction, and mechanisms similar to those observed in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome. Additionally, this paper assesses existing treatment options and digital therapies for long-COVID symptoms, acknowledges the lack of evidence-based treatments for these patients, and identifies populations that may be at increased risk of long-term complications following SARS-CoV-2 infection. Finally, the entire review shows the heterogeneity of long-COVID and draws attention to the need for future studies to improve our knowledge of the biological mechanisms involved in this condition, as well as to develop evidence-based treatment options.

Keywords: Long COVID; post-COVID syndrome; post-acute sequelae of SARSCoV- 2 infection (PASC); SARS-CoV-2; post-viral fatigue

Medical Science, 2026, 30, e110ms3859

PDF

Published: 25 June 2026