Surviving the pandemic is only half the battle: ‘Long COVID’ could affect a billion in just a few years

The COVID death rate is a shadow of its former self, and more than two years into the pandemic, Americans seem to be breathing a sigh of relief—thanks to vaccines, their risk of death or hospitalization from the virus is greatly diminished. But there’s more to take into account before ditching your mask, experts say—Long COVID, a new chronic condition defined by an array of symptoms that endure long after the initial COVID infection has cleared. Long COVID may already affect between 7 and 23 million Americans who previously had the virus, or up to 7% of the U.S. population, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office.