Beyond the acute illness: Exploring long COVID and its impact on multiple organ systems

The emergence of COVID-19, caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, has significantly impacted human health on a global scale. Since the first reported case in December 2019, the virus has spread rapidly across the globe, infecting millions of individuals and leading to widespread morbidity and mortality.

 Although COVID-19 primarily affects the respiratory system, emerging evidence indicates that it may also harm other organs, including the cardiovascular, neurological, gastrointestinal, dermatological, and renal systems, resulting in chronic complications in some people. These post-COVID-19 complications are known as long COVID or post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC).