Six years after SARS-CoV-2 was first identified, COVID has largely faded from public consciousness — but its long-term consequences haven't. While circulating Omicron subvariants cause milder acute illness and vaccination recommendations have been scaled back to older adults and high-risk groups, millions of people worldwide are still grappling with long COVID and post-COVID syndrome (PCS). Up to 10% of symptomatic cases develop persistent symptoms, and roughly 5 million people currently suffer from debilitating fatigue, cognitive impairment, pain, and breathlessness.

The economic toll is staggering. An OECD report published earlier this year projects an additional $11 billion in annual healthcare costs over the next decade, with the total economic burden estimated at $135 billion per year — and a potential 0.2% drag on member nations' GDP. On the treatment front, a large UK phase 3 trial testing colchicine, rivaroxaban, famotidine, and loratadine for long COVID showed only modest, short-lived improvements in fatigue, with no lasting benefit after stopping the drugs. Meanwhile, the PANORAMIC Norway trial found that nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Paxlovid) given during acute infection may significantly reduce the risk of developing long COVID within 3 months — though larger studies are needed to confirm this.

By the Numbers:

• Up to 10% of symptomatic COVID cases develop persistent symptoms
• Long COVID risk with early variants: 27–34%; with later Omicron subvariants: 11–14%
• OECD projects $11B/year in additional healthcare costs over the next 10 years
• Total estimated economic burden: $135B per year
• SARS-CoV-2 confirmed deaths: 7.1 million; WHO estimate: up to 22 million

Why it matters: Long COVID is no longer just a medical footnote — it's a mounting public health and economic crisis. With no established therapies yet and millions still suffering, the pressure is on to find effective prevention and treatment strategies before the world fully moves on.