Symptoms, mechanisms, and management of long COVID: understanding its prevalence, characteristics, and healthcare challenges in Saudi Arabia

Long COVID is a prolonged health condition wherein patients continue to experience symptoms long after recovering from infection, so it presents a significant global health challenge with multi-organ involvement. This review provides evidence from several studies to elucidate the prevalence, symptom clusters, and underlying mechanisms of Long COVID. Key findings highlight fatigue (25–73%), cognitive dysfunction, respiratory symptoms (dyspnea: 6.9–47%), cardiovascular symptoms (49.37/1,000), and reproductive symptoms (menstrual irregularities, erectile dysfunction) as predominant manifestations. Mechanistic insights include viral persistence, immune dysregulation, and endothelial dysfunction. The review gives detailed information about prevalence and immunological studies carried out in Saudi Arabia on Long COVID and underscores the importance of longitudinal immune studies, multidisciplinary approaches, biobanks, and global collaborations to improve patient outcomes. Recommendations emphasize tailored therapies, psychological support, and large-scale cohort studies to address heterogeneity and optimize care for Long COVID patients in Saudi Arabia.