Can Omicron cause long Covid? Here are questions still to be answered

It is too soon to know, scientists say, but mild initial illness may not signal reduced risk.

Many public health officials have taken heart in early evidence that suggests infections from the Omicron variant tend to cause less severe illness than other versions of the coronavirus. But another important question looms: whether infection with Omicron, including breakthrough cases in vaccinated people, can result in long Covid — the constellation of physical, neurological and cognitive symptoms that can last for months and impair people’s daily lives.

It is too early for scientists to know much about the relationship between Omicron, vaccination