In a recent op-ed in STAT News, Dr. Adam Gaffney, pulmonologist and critical care physician at the Cambridge Health Alliance in Cambridge, Mass., and an assistant professor in medicine at Harvard Medical School, warned researchers and journalists alike to use more caution when reporting new findings related to chronic COVID-19 symptoms, known as long COVID. Here are his reasons.*

No universal definition or diagnosis

Despite frequent and widespread use of the term, “long COVID” has no universally agreed-upon clinical definition. It is used as a catchall phrase to describe those whose symptoms last more than a few months after the onset of COVID-19. This shouldn’t be surprising, Dr. Gaffney writes. Critical illness of any kind “can be devastating.”

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is the cause of death for nearly everyone who has died as a result of COVID-19. ARDS is a form of pneumonia that causes severe inflammation of both lungs. ARDS can result in many long-term physical and cognitive impairments, but COVID-related ARDS is not alone in this occurrence. 

Long before COVID-19, a 1999 study reported that even mild forms of pneumonia can result in symptoms that linger for months. In fact, lung failure from any cause can lead to other types of organ failure, including that of the heart and kidneys, requiring months or even years of specialized care.

Information is too limited for drawing accurate conclusions

While articles and news reports on long COVID are largely based upon data gathered from patient surveys, medical records, and scientific research, the SARS-CoV-2 virus and its potential consequences are still too new for anyone to draw absolute conclusions. In research, new findings most often lead to new questions.

Results of any given study are just that—the results of one, usually small study. Information is collected and assimilated on a daily basis, but the issues are wide-ranging and varied, so though our knowledge continues to expand, so do the effects of the pandemic.

Vague and irresponsible journalism

Unfortunately, many news outlets report hypotheses as facts, possibilities as foregone conclusions, and specific observations as broad generalizations. COVID-19 news often includes dire reports of:

• Ongoing, perhaps indefinite, multiple organ systems affected without a specific diagnosis
• Those with mild acute symptoms, or no acute symptoms at all, being at risk
• Young, healthy people experiencing chronic symptoms including brain fog, headaches, heart palpitations, fatigue, sleep disturbance, and hair loss

One story by a prominent newspaper even stated that an entirely resolved mild infection can cause severe psychosis months later, and may lead to murderous thoughts.

While it’s important to keep people informed, Gaffney says, we need to ensure that we’re presenting information for what it is and not spreading panic through misleading or misrepresented data. 

Unconfirmed infections

Some people who identify themselves as COVID long-haulers have never tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus. In one survey, two-thirds of respondents had negative coronavirus antibody tests (blood tests that reveal prior infection). 

Granted, even highly sensitive blood tests can yield both false positives and false negatives, and antibodies can fade over time, but multiple studies have found that antibodies remain active for several months in most people who have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. 

Many symptoms not unique to long COVID

What this means is that an unspecified number of people may be attributing their symptoms to long COVID when the actual cause could be any number of respiratory infections or other medical conditions. Not only does this skew long COVID statistics, but it could prevent many people from seeking and receiving treatments for their actual health issues.

Most of the symptoms being associated with long COVID, such as headaches, brain fog, gastrointestinal symptoms, fatigue, heart palpitations, sleep disturbance, and even hair loss, are also associated with stress, nutrient deficiencies, and other common conditions. 

Physical and psychological symptoms feed each other

Lastly, the deep and widespread impact of anxiety, social isolation, and grief cannot be denied and should not be minimized. It is well known that mental anguish frequently leads to physical symptoms and suffering. While the pandemic has certainly compounded the pre-existing mental health crisis in America, some physical symptoms, at least, cannot be directly linked to the physical presence of the virus in certain individuals.

We at Responsum Health take our responsibility to our readers very seriously, and we endeavor to bring you up-to-date information presented in a transparent way. We also urge you, our readers, to read all news, here and elsewhere, with a critical eye, and to consider the context in which information is presented.

*Gaffney, A. W. (2021, Mar. 22). We Need to Start Thinking More Critically — and Speaking More Cautiously — About Long Covid [Op-Ed]. STAT News. https://www.statnews.com/2021/03/22/we-need-to-start-thinking-more-critically-speaking-cautiously-long-covid/ 

Much about the novel coronavirus COVID-19 is still not fully understood. As research progresses and our knowledge of the virus increases, information about it can change rapidly. We strive to update all of our articles as quickly as possible, but some “lag” may occur between scientific developments and our revisions.