Key points:
- The wide range of persistent symptoms in long COVID requires a coordinated response from multiple medical specialties.
- Formalized models of care systems and multidisciplinary collaborations began in early 2021 as health care providers recognized the needs of the affected population.
- Multidisciplinary models largely exist in academic centers and larger cities; however, most care for PASC patients is provided by the primary care providers.
Introduction:
As of July 2022, there have been more than 540 million confirmed cases of coronavirus disease (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 [SARS CoV-2], coronavirus disease 2019 [COVID-19]) during the global pandemic.
Severe acute cases of SARS-CoV-2 respiratory illness continue to strain communities, health care systems, and nations. Evidence-based medical treatments have greatly improved patient outcomes; however, a growing population of survivors with persisting long-term complications has been recognized. This syndrome has been labeled as long COVID or the Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS CoV-2 (PASC).
There is no single accepted definition of PASC. However, PASC is characterized by persistent and/or delayed symptoms or complications beyond 4 weeks of symptom onset or 3 months after a confirmed SARS CoV-2 infection.
The population that experiences PASC is extremely heterogeneous, from those initially asymptomatic with no prior comorbidities to those with preexisting respiratory conditions and prolonged intensive care unit (ICU) stays. The exact prevalence of PASC in the population is unknown with reports of patients with PASC ranging from 10% to 81% of confirmed cases.
Given this large population, treatment resource, health care needs, and social costs will continue to be a growing burden on already exhausted health care systems.
Source: Surendra Barshikar, MD, MBA, Martin Laguerre, MD, Patricia Gordon, MSN, MPH, APRN, FNP-BC, Marielisa Lopez, MD. Integrated Care Models for Long Coronavirus Disease.