What health issue is reported to affect more than half of COVID-19 patients after recovery?

Deliberating fatigue is recognized as a significant health issue affecting more than half of individuals recovering from COVID-19, often referred to as "long COVID" or post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC). This phenomenon includes symptoms that persist long after the initial infection has resolved. Fatigue, in particular, has been widely reported in numerous studies and patient surveys, indicating that many experience profound tiredness, impacting daily activities and quality of life.

The mechanism behind this lingering fatigue remains an area of research, with possibilities including immune system responses, inflammation, and potential impacts on various body systems during the infection. In contrast, while difficulty breathing, loss of taste, and chronic cough can also occur in COVID-19 patients, they tend to be more acute symptoms associated directly with the respiratory infection, which may resolve within a shorter timeframe following recovery. Fatigue, however, is a more pervasive issue that has shown a higher prevalence among those recovering from COVID-19.