"New CDC Data Reveals Long COVID's Deadly Toll in the US"
New CDC data reveals that over 5,000 Americans have died from long COVID since the pandemic began, with 1,491 of those deaths occurring in 2023. Long COVID, which lacks a standard definition or diagnostic test, is diagnosed based on symptoms persisting at least 3 months post-infection. The condition can lead to life-threatening issues affecting various body systems and is recognized as an underlying cause of death. The risk of long COVID fatalities is higher for certain demographics, with disparities observed across age, race, and ethnicity. The CDC's new guidance on reporting long COVID as a cause of death aims to improve the accuracy of fatality counts, but challenges remain in diagnosis and attribution of deaths to long COVID.