Coronavirus FAQ: What is long COVID? And what is my risk of getting it?

Each week, we answer frequently asked questions about life during the coronavirus crisis. If you have a question you'd like us to consider for a future post, email us at goatsandsoda@npr.org with the subject line: "Weekly Coronavirus Questions." See an archive of our FAQs here.

One of the most frightening aspects of COVID-19 now seems to be the potential that symptoms could linger after an infection. What is my risk of having long COVID if I become infected? And does being vaccinated change that?

Over the past year, there's been a flurry of research published about long COVID. Dozens of these studies try to estimate the risk of having lingering symptoms months after a COVID infection.

But when you look closely at the data, a huge inconsistency emerges: The estimates of the prevalence of long COVID range wildly, from less than 5% to nearly 60% of total COVID cases. So what's going on?

"It can be really confusing, even to, who directs the Clinical Operational Research Unit at University College of London.