NAM Report Urges Defining Long COVID as a Disease, Not Just a Syndrome

A National Academy of Medicine report argues that long COVID, affecting tens of millions of people, should be explicitly defined as a disease rather than only a syndrome, after years of unclear definitions, no test, and doubts about its reality. The discussion frames it as an infection-associated chronic illness, like post-Lyme syndromes, possibly driven by immune dysregulation or autoimmunity, with EBV reactivation mentioned. Formal disease status matters for reimbursement, diagnosis and patient recognition.