Diagnostic strategies for post-COVID syndrome

Post-COVID syndrome is a multisystem pathological condition caused by the history of infection with SARS-CoV-2 virus. This condition is associated with a wide range of clinical manifestations, including chronic fatigue, cognitive and respiratory disorders as well as damage to the cardiovascular and nervous systems. Despite the high prevalence of post-COVID syndrome, unified diagnostic criteria remain insufficiently developed. Objective. To analyze the modern approaches to the diagnosis of post-COVID syndrome on the basis of the data from relevant scientific publications. Materials and methods. The study is based on an analysis of publications from peer-reviewed international and Russian scientific journals included in the PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and RSCI databases. Meta-analyses, systematic reviews, clinical recommendations and cohort studies for the period from 2019 were studied. The main focus is on publications containing data on pathophysiological mechanisms and diagnostic criteria of post-COVID syndrome. Results. The main pathophysiological mechanisms of post-COVID syndrome, such as persistent inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, microcirculatory disorders and mitochondrial dysfunction have been presented. The main clinical phenotypes of post-COVID syndrome have been described. Modern diagnostic methods based on the clinical and laboratory data have been analyzed. Conclusions. Analysis of the modern literature has allowed to identify key pathophysiological mechanisms of post-COVID syndrome, including persistent inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, microcirculatory disorders and mitochondrial dysfunction. Despite the achievements in the study of post-COVID syndrome symptoms, unified diagnostic criteria remain insufficiently developed. Further clinical research is needed to standardize diagnostic approaches and develop therapeutic algorithms.