Can long Covid kill you?

Group of researchers point out that the answer isn't simple owing to multiple factors and the fact that it is a recent phenomenon

-  Rose (Shiqi) Luo

Early five years into the pandemic, COVID is feeling less central to our daily lives. But the virus, SARS-CoV-2, is still around, and for many people the effects of an infection can be long-lasting. When symptoms persist for more than three months after the initial COVID infection, this is generally referred to as long COVID.

In September, Grammy-winning Brazilian musician Sergio Mendes died aged 83 after reportedly having long COVID.

Australian data show 196 deaths were due to the long-term effects of COVID from the beginning of the pandemic up to the end of July 2023.

In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 3,544 long COVID-related deaths from the start of the pandemic up to the end of June 2022. The symptoms of long COVID—such as fatigue, shortness of breath and "brain fog"—can be debilitating. But can you die from long COVID? The answer is not so simple.

How could long COVID lead to death?

There's still a lot researchers don't understand about what causes long COVID. A popular theory is that "zombie" virus fragments may linger in the body and cause inflammation even after the virus has gone, resulting in long-term health problems.

Recent research suggests a reservoir of SARS-CoV-2 proteins in the blood might explain why some people experience ongoing symptoms.