Long-term effects of COVID-19 on the cardiopulmonary system in adults and children: Current status and questions to be resolved by the NIH RECOVER Initiative
RECOVER Cardiopulmonary Committee; Rischard, F; Altman, N; et. al., CHEST
Published
January 2024
Journal
CHEST
Abstract
Long COVID may occur in at least 10% of subjects recovering from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-Co-V-2) infection and is often associated with debilitating symptoms. Among the organ systems that might be involved in its pathogenesis, the respiratory and cardiovascular systems may be central to common complaints seen in survivors of COVID including fatigue, dyspnea, chest pain, cough, and exercise intolerance. Understand the exact symptomatology, causes, and effects of Long COVID on the heart and lungs may help to discover new therapies. To that end, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is sponsoring a national study population of diverse volunteers to support large-scale studies on the long-term effects of COVID-19.
Authors
RECOVER Cardiopulmonary Committee, Franz Rischard, Natasha Altman, Jacqueline Szmuszkovicz, Frank Sciurba, Erika Berman-Rosenzweig, Simon Lee, Sankaran Krishnan, Ngan Truong, John Wood, Aloke V Finn
Keywords
Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing (CPET); Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD); Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C); Postacute Sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC); Post-COVID-19 Interstitial Lung Disease (PC-ILD); Pulmonary Function Testing (PFT); Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS); Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER)
Short Summary
Long COVID may occur in people recovering from a COVID-19 infection and often includes symptoms related to the heart and lungs, which together are called the cardiopulmonary system. These symptoms, which include fatigue, shortness of breath, chest pain, cough, and reduced ability to do physical activity, can cause significant disability. This paper explores current knowledge about what causes Long COVID and how it affects the heart and lungs, in both adults and children. The authors also discuss how participants in the Researching COVID to Enhance RECOVERY (RECOVER) Initiative will help answer questions about the impact of Long COVID on the cardiopulmonary system. Understanding these causes and effects may help researchers discover new therapies for Long COVID symptoms.