RECOVER-Adult study reveals refined thresholds and symptom categorization, advancing research into long COVID’s complexities. Study: 2024 Update of the RECOVER-Adult Long COVID Research Index . Image Credit: Branislav Nenin / Shutterstock.
com The 2023 research index for adults with post-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) condition or long COVID has been updated using additional participant data from the Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER-Adult) study. In a recent study published in JAMA , researchers provide a detailed report of the updated 2024 long COVID research index. Defining long COVID Long COVID, which affects a significant proportion of individuals who have survived COVID-19, is a heterogenous condition that is characterized by the persistence of symptoms for at least three months after acute infection with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).
This definition of long COVID has been generated by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), which is broadly inclusive and does not require or exclude any symptoms or conditions. However, a more structured research index for long COVID is needed to support ongoing research in this field, as well as identify biomarkers and therapeutic agents. The non-specific nature of long COVID symptoms, fluctuating disease course, and uncertain SARS-CoV-2 infection history are some of the major challenges that make it difficult to establish a structured long COVID resea.