NASEM Draws Fire Over 1-Symptom Long Covid Definition as Experts Warn It Blurs Research
Updated
Updated · WIRED · Jun 1
NASEM Draws Fire Over 1-Symptom Long Covid Definition as Experts Warn It Blurs Research
1 articles · Updated · WIRED · Jun 1
Summary
A 2024 National Academies definition lets a person qualify for long Covid with just 1 symptom lasting at least 3 months after recognized or unrecognized SARS-CoV-2 infection, drawing criticism that it is too inclusive.
Experts quoted in the report say the breadth injects noise into studies and clinical practice, with one Harvard physician calling it "the broadest definition of any clinical entity in medical history."
That concern is reinforced by research using broad criteria: a recent JAMA analysis found documented prior Covid infection was linked to slightly lower long-Covid rates than no documented infection, suggesting misclassification.
The report says advocacy pressure to validate patients' suffering helped shape the definition and also made some lines of inquiry—especially exercise and mind-body therapies—harder to study because researchers fear backlash.
Six years after the pandemic peak and nearly $2 billion in effort, long Covid still lacks a biomarker, diagnostic test, or approved drug, leaving the field split over biology, psychology, and how to study recovery.
Why do some Long Covid patients fear the therapies that others claim cured them?
After major drug trials failed, is the cure for Long Covid hidden in the mind?
The New Standard for Long COVID: Analyzing the 2024 NASEM Definition and Its Impact
Overview
In June 2024, NASEM and the CDC released a new working definition for Long COVID, describing it as an infection-associated chronic condition that appears after SARS-CoV-2 infection and lasts at least three months, affecting one or more organ systems. This definition is intentionally broad and inclusive to capture the many ways Long COVID can show up in different people. As scientific knowledge and evidence about Long COVID continue to grow, the definition is expected to evolve. Clinicians are encouraged to use careful judgment, since the definition serves as a flexible guide rather than a strict checklist.