Post-COVID 19 syndrome: Inquiring about reported phenotypes

Authors

• Cielo Cristina Castro-Correa, Oscar Daniel Galves-Cetina, Andrés Felipe Vela-Montenegro, KhandakerSabit Bin Razzak School of Medicine, Universidad PontificiaBolivariana, Medellin, Colombia

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has become possibly the largest public health problem of the 21st century. As of August 20, 2021, the Center for COVID-19 Tracking at Johns Hopkins University reports more than 200 million cases and more than 4 million deaths.¹ However, another of the great unknowns are the sequelae left by the acute phase of COVID-19 and the impact they have on health systems through parameters of health costs, morbidity, mortality and disability.² The period of time when the sequelae are observed has been termed post-COVID-19 syndrome. Is defined as the persistence or appearance of signs and/or symptoms after the acute phase of the disease, specifically in two time periods, between 4 and 12 weeks and after week 12, and potentially compromising the functional capacity of the individual.² This syndrome can occur in young patients as well as in patients with advanced disease, and in those with or without a history of comorbidities.² One of the greatest challenges today is the implementation of strategies for early diagnosis and timely management of major complications presented in this period of time, especially in low- and middle-income countries where resources for health systems are scarce and where there is a very high overall disease burden