Post-COVID symptomatology a new health reality: systematic review

Many individuals who contracted COVID-19 achieved full recovery. However, available empirical evidence indicates that up to 90% of cases continue to experience persistent symptoms in the medium and long term, even after overcoming the acute phase of the disease. Objective: To determine the symptomatology associated with post-COVID-19 in the scientific literature. Methodology: A systematic review was conducted using the search terms: "post-COVID symptomatology," "sequelae," "complications," and "long COVID." The searches were carried out in the databases Scielo, Google Scholar, PubMed, and Elsevier, yielding a total of 50 articles selected for analysis. Results: The reviewed documents were published between 2019 and 2024, covering studies from 20 countries. A total of 46 symptoms associated with post-COVID were identified and classified for the purposes of this study into the following categories: general symptoms (23%), neurological system involvement (23%), psycho-emotional symptoms (17%), gastrointestinal symptoms (15%), and respiratory and cardiovascular symptoms (11% each). Conclusions: The coexistence of multiple conditions in individuals suffering from post-COVID is evident. In many cases, general symptoms transition from the acute to the subacute phase without being perceived or properly diagnosed. The most common manifestations are neurological in nature, followed by psycho-emotional symptoms, both of which can significantly affect daily activities and even cause disabilities that hinder reintegration into everyday life. Post-COVID diagnosis is often delayed, as symptoms are frequently attributed to other illnesses.