This chapter provides a substantial introduction to the book, giving an overview of the social, cultural and political aspects and impacts of Long COVID. Drawing on perspectives and theories from health sociology and medical anthropology, the chapter discusses the broader currents around the politics of public health, lived experience of illness, social justice, disability, the tensions between biomedical authority, lay expertise and patient activism and the role of digital media in contributing to the formation of patient knowledge, advocacy and support. Building on and extending this body of established literature, the chapter incorporates key insights offered on Long COVID by the contributors to this edited volume, involving researchers in the USA, UK, Italy, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Australia. Crucially, most of the authors are themselves living with or caring for someone with Long COVID or work closely with long COVID patient communities and others with lived experience.