Consensus Based Recommendations for the Management of Post-COVID Long-Term Sequelae (Long COVID): A Regional Perspective

Majid AlShamrani¹Fayssal Farahat^1*Abdullah Assiri²Sami AlHajjar³Ali Albarrak⁴Hashem AlHashemi⁵Mohammed AlZunitan⁶Meshal AlAqeel⁷Sami AlYami⁸Ziad A Memish⁹

• ¹King Abdulaziz Medical City; King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences; King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
• ²Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
• ³Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, College of Medicine , AlFaisal University Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
• ⁴Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
• ⁵King Abdulaziz Medical City; King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences; King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
• ⁶King Abdulaziz Medical City, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
• ⁷Psychiatry Section, King Abdulaziz Medical City; King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences; King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
• ⁸Respiratory Medicine,King Abdulaziz Medical City, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
• ⁹Research and Innovation Center, King Saud Medical City, Ministry of Health & College of Medicine, Alfaisal University & Hubert Department of Global Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic marks the biggest public health emergency of the 21 st century. The long-term health issues linked to COVID-19, also known as Long COVID, pose a great challenge to patients and society. This article aims to highlight the current unmet clinical needs and present expert recommendations for region-specific assessment and management of Long COVID.A secondary desk research was performed focusing on global and regional guidelines for the assessment and management of Long COVID. The observations from the desk research form the foundation for the consensus statements. Additionally, an expert panel consisting of 10 consultant physicians from related specialties reviewed these guidelines and literature in advisory board meetings to identify unmet needs, bridge clinical gaps, and develop recommendations for the evaluation and management of Long COVID.The expert recommendation statements were drafted based on overarching principles for the clinical assessment and management of Long COVID. The overarching principles used a targeted, multidisciplinary approach, and collaboration between multiple specialties of healthcare. The panel also highlighted the value of holistic care for the management of Long COVID.Long COVID is a major public health challenge. These expert recommendations are expected to guide healthcare professionals in their clinical decision-making for the assessment, management, and appropriate rehabilitation of patients with Long COVID.