The government plans to observe ten-thousand people for three years to study the long-term effects of COVID-19. 

The National Institute of Health under the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said Sunday that the study will begin at the end of this month with the aim of identifying the risk factors that caused such effects. Based on those findings, the government plans to set guidelines to better treat and manage infections as well as set up a database on related conditions. 

According to health authorities and the World Health Organization, these long-term effects, often called long COVID, refer to effects of the virus continuing for more than two months after the initial illness in the form of fatigue and shortness of breath among other symptoms.

More than 200 symptoms have been reported around the world, with around 20 percent of COVID-19 patients reportedly having experienced various symptoms in the mid to long term.