The name 'long COVID' was created early in the pandemic by people experiencing persistent symptoms after a SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) infection. It has several other names. For example, the World Health Organization (WHO), also calls Long COVID 'post COVID-19 condition', or PCC. In MyGuide, we use 'Long COVID'.

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Long COVID also has many definitions developed by organizations worldwide, including the World Health Organization, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. There is agreement that Long COVID is an infection-associated chronic condition that occurs after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Symptoms continue or develop three months after initial infection and impact day-to-day function. Common symptoms include fatigue, shortness of breath and cognitive dysfunction, but more than 200 symptoms have been identified.