As I understand it, damage from the initial covid infection that causes ongoing symptoms is exactly what people mean when they use the term "long covid". People

As I understand it, damage from the initial covid infection that causes ongoing symptoms is exactly what people mean when they use the term "long covid". People with long covid are (as far as we know) no longer infected with covid. Long covid is distinct from having covid in that covid doesn't cause this damage in everyone who is infected. In this way it is similar to ME / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome that can also be caused by other viruses, although in the case of covid the damage is not limited to causing fatigue and can cause issues with a host of other parts of the body including the lungs, heart, nervous system and immune system.