What chikungunya teaches us about COVID-19

Since December, 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic has generated huge challenges, numerous breakthroughs in research and care, and innovations in public health. A year after its emergence, the world is discovering that late clinical consequences of the disease are an increasing problem for patients. For a substantial proportion of SARS-CoV-2-infected adults, the disease appears biphasic, with long-lasting clinical disorders (so-called long COVID). This post-COVID status might comprise multiple mental or somatic disorders, especially among adults. The prevalence, profile, and determinants of these chronic manifestations remain to be described and understood for appropriate case management. Assessment of clinical disability, quality of life, and fitness for work is required to provide a better view of the real burden of disease and improve our response to the pandemic. There is a cognitive bias when examining the COVID-19 burden. Considering its mode of transmission (airborne), its clinical influenza-like presentation, and the explosive shape of the epidemic curves,...