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Long covid: What we now know about its causes and possible treatments

Almost four years after the first cases emerged, we are accumulating evidence about the physiology behind this complex condition – from microclots to viral persistence

By Michael Marshall

27 November 2023

New Scientist. Science news and long reads from expert journalists, covering developments in science, technology, health and the environment on the website and the magazine.

Pete Reynolds

FOR many of us, the covid-19 pandemic is fading into memory. But for millions of people, that isn’t possible as they are still unwell. An illness that is often brief and mild is, for some, the start of a rollercoaster of symptoms that can last years. Today, around 65 million people may have long covid.

That is the bad news. But around four years since the first cases emerged, evidence of the causes of long covid is rapidly accumulating, paving the way for treatments. Multiple trials of therapies are under way and several have already shown promising results. It is…

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