Because SARS-CoV-2 can bind with “ACE2” proteins on the surface of cells throughout the body, Covid can cause severe and lasting damage to nearly every part of the body. Hundreds of symptoms have been linked to Long Covid, spanning not only organ damage and impact to the circulatory system, but also outcomes like bone loss, skeletal problems, muscle weakness, hair loss, sexual dysfunction, and more.

Covid’s impact at the cellular level is so pervasive that researchers have even demonstrated ways the disease can add years or decades to "biological age.” For example, a 25-year-old’s DNA can look like that of a 50-year-old after even a mild infection (through a process associated with aging called “telomere shortening”). The list of risk factors and consequences from Covid infection grows with each new research study.