NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The Biden administration is launching a new program to prevent and treat long COVID. The CDC defines it as when COVID infection symptoms linger for more than four weeks.
The Biden administration said this week long COVID is now a national priority. There are a lot of unknowns surrounding it and researchers will be studying it over the next several years.
There's there's no cure, specific treatment, or even a test for long COVID. Scientists still don't fully understand what the symptoms are, how long it lasts or why some people get it and others don't. The CDC has a list of more than a dozen symptoms including difficulty breathing, fatigue, problems sleeping, cough, chest pain and headaches. It also could cause problems with mental health.
The World Health Organization's estimates 10 to 20 percent of people who had a COVID infection have developed long COVID.
In February, the National Institutes of Health announced a more than one billion dollar initiative to support research into the condition over four years.
Scientists are working on medicine that could treat long COVID, as well as tests to diagnose it.
