Summarised by Centrist
New data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests that more than 5,000 Americans have died from long COVID since the start of the pandemic. (Editor’s note: nearly 8000 people die a day in the US from all causes).
Long COVID lacks a formal diagnosis, but is typically understood to be the presence of symptoms for at least three months after an acute infection that were not there before the sickness. The CDC’s analysis of death certificate data reveals that COVID was the third leading cause of death in the US in 2020 and 2021, and the fourth leading cause in 2023.
Approximately 1% of all COVID-related deaths are attributed to long COVID. Experts warn that long COVID is likely to remain a significant public health concern even as the pandemic’s status evolves.
According to Medscape:
“Half of long COVID fatalities from July 2021 to June 2022 occurred in people aged 65 years and older, and another 23% were recorded among people aged 50-64 years old, according to a report from CDC.”
A diagnostic test for the condition, to better track and address its impact is not yet available, but would be a “game changer” according to experts.
