Fig. 1
From: Coding long COVID: characterizing a new disease through an ICD-10 lens
Clinical use of B94.8 decreases as U09.9 becomes available. Prior to U09.9’s release, the CDC recommended use of B94.8 (“Sequelae of other specified infectious and parasitic diseases”) as a placeholder code to signify long COVID. As this code is not specific to sequelae of COVID-19, this figure shows consistent but infrequent use during two pre-pandemic years. Use of B94.8 ramps up in Spring of 2020, suggesting increased recognition of long COVID by providers. However, upon its release in October 2021, U09.9 supplants B94.8 in terms of usage frequency