Long COVID in the general population: reassurance without dismissal

Following acute COVID-19, some people experience persistent and disabling symptoms that may last for months or even years, a condition widely known as “long COVID”. The WHO definition of post-COVID-19 condition (PCC) was deliberately inclusive, encompassing new or persistent symptoms that usually occur within three months of infection, last at least two months, affect everyday functioning, and cannot be explained by another diagnosis.1 Population estimates therefore depend strongly on the definition and severity threshold used.