We’ve Only Just Begun to Examine the Racial Disparities of Long Covid

September 22, 2022

(MIT Technology Review) – Of the many people who have had covid, about one in five develop chronic symptoms. The term “long covid”—credited to Elisa Perego, a University College London archeologist who used it in a tweet—refers to a condition, formally known as post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2, defined by symptoms that can last weeks or months after a person contracts covid. It doesn’t appear to matter how severe the infection was. And it can manifest in many ways—common symptoms include inability to concentrate, difficulty breathing, and stomach problems. Many researchers are working to better understand long covid and determine who is most at risk, how the illness progresses, and how to treat it. But they are also seeking to understand the extent to which it places a particular burden on people of color.  (Read More)