For Health Care Providers: Post-COVID Conditions
In addition to information for the general public at Long COVID: A Post-COVID Condition, we have gathered the following resources for health care providers.
Post-COVID conditions are not well understood, and their true frequency and severity remain unknown. Guidance will likely change over time. We will update this page as more information and resources become available.
As of Oct. 1, 2021, providers may use the ICD-10 code, U09.9: Post COVID-19 condition, unspecified, to indicate post-acute sequelae of COVID-19. Refer to 2022 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code U09.9 for more information.
Clinical case definitions
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) describe post-COVID conditions as “a wide range of new, returning, or ongoing health problems people can experience four or more weeks after first being infected with the virus that causes COVID-19.” However, there is not yet widespread consensus around standard clinical case definitions for most post-COVID conditions. This is in part because studies of post-COVID conditions and “long COVID” have varied widely by symptoms investigated, temporal criteria, study settings (inpatient vs. outpatient), and data sources (self-reporting versus electronic health records).
The World Health Organization (WHO) has published an early version for consideration: WHO: A Clinical Case Definition of Post COVID-19 Condition by a Delphi Consensus, 6 October 2021, which varies somewhat from the CDC description. We may include standard definitions here as they become available.
Post-COVID conditions in children and adolescents
For information about multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), including health alerts, instructions for reporting cases to MDH, and other resources, visit Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C).
Interim guidance for pediatricians and primary care providers is available at American Academy of Pediatrics: Post-COVID Conditions in Children and Adolescents.
Children with post-COVID conditions may experience challenges related to concentration, memory, or physical activity. Health care providers can work with schools and families on accommodations for classes, homework, and other activities. For more information, visit the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS)’s Long COVID under Section 504 and the IDEA, Resource to Support Children, Students, Educators, Schools, Service Providers, and Families (PDF).
Resources and proposed guidelines
CDC: Post-COVID Conditions: Information for Healthcare Providers An overview for clinicians.
CDC: Evaluating and Caring for Patients with Post-COVID Conditions: Interim Guidance Detailed information on clinical considerations, assessment and testing, management of conditions, follow-up care, public health recommendations, and more. Includes extensive list of references.
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence: COVID-19 Rapid Guideline: Managing the Long-Term Effects of COVID-19 Includes a baseline assessment tool, guidelines for assessing and managing long-term effects of COVID-19, advice for coordinating services, and more. Updated November 2021.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health: Long COVID-19: Proposed Primary Care Clinical Guidelines for Diagnosis and Disease Management Recommendations for structured primary care visits, longitudinal follow up, multidisciplinary rehabilitation services, and empowering patients. Published April 2021.
American Academy of Pediatrics: Post-COVID Conditions in Children and Adolescents Interim guidance for pediatricians and primary care providers.
New England Journal of Medicine: Confronting Our Next National Health Disaster — Long-Haul COVID Perspectives on building a coordinated national health policy action and response. Published August 2021.