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As the world enters its sixth year since the COVID-19 pandemic began, 77 countries reported fresh cases and 27 countries saw people dying of the disease, according to the latest epidemiological update by the World Health Organization (WHO) from October 14-November 10, 2024.
In the first three deadly years of the pandemic, the virus, SARS-CoV-2, evolved rapidly, with a new strain dominating case surges over the months. And it continues to emerge in altered forms, with significant implications for transmissibility, severity and vaccine efficacy, WHO wrote in the new report.
As of December 2024, the United Nations health agency observed, KP.3.1.1 is the most prevalent JN.1 descendent, followed by XEC, a newly designated variant under monitoring.
But even as the virus remains so widely in circulation, post-COVID-19 condition (PCC), also known as 'long COVID', remains a major conern with a much larger health burden, WHO highlighted.
WHO noted that around 6.2 per cent of people who had symptomatic COVID-19 develop PCC, citing estimates from 2022. They experience breath, fatigue, and cognitive impairments such as difficulty concentrating—often referred to as "brain fog".
The symptoms may persist for weeks or months after the COVID-19 infection and affect women disproportionately. "Women are 56 per cent more likely to experience PCC than men, according to a meta-analysis," the health agency stated.
In 2023, some 409 million people across the world were living long COVID, according to an August 2024 report published in Nature Medicine.
PCC can significantly impact daily functioning, making it not only a medical issue but also a social and economic challenge.
"These symptoms often occur after mild infections, and are more common among those who were hospitalized or unvaccinated," WHO wrote in the update.
While the symptoms may seem like only a handful, the clinical profile of PCC is diverse. It is not just "lingering symptoms" of the infection; it is also associated with an increased risk of severe medical events involving multiple organ systems, the UN health organisation noted.
Research suggests potential underlying mechanisms such as immune dysregulation, autoimmunity and microvascular blood clotting.
Cardiovascular complications such as strokes, as well as neurological, renal and pulmonary impairments, occur more frequently in individuals following acute COVID-19 infection, WHO observed. The risks compound with reinfection, emphasising the importance of preventive measures.
However, the pathophysiology of PCC remains incompletely understood, complicating diagnosis and treatment.
The therapeutic landscape for PCC is also in its infancy, but efforts to address the condition are gaining momentum. Current management emphasises a multidisciplinary approach tailored to individual needs. This often includes rehabilitation services involving primary care practitioners and specialists in pulmonology, cardiology, neurology and mental health, WHO stated.
Recent data indicate a decline in the condition’s frequency, the health organisation noted. This trend may reflect a combination of widespread vaccination, evolving variants with potentially different pathogenic profiles and improved management of acute COVID-19 cases. Despite this, high transmission rates mean that the absolute number of PCC cases could remain substantial, posing ongoing challenges for healthcare systems.
As the world continues to adapt to living with COVID-19, addressing PCC is critical to minimising the pandemic’s enduring toll, according to WHO. The organisation urged global organisations to foster collaboration among researchers, healthcare providers and policymakers to tackle the condition.