Some people who have caught coronavirus - regardless of variant - have reported experiencing symptoms that linger around for far longer than the standard isolation period.
This phenomenon is called long Covid, and occurs when people still suffer from symptoms of the virus for months after the initial infection.
According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), over a million patients across the UK have reported suffering from the illness as of December 6 2021.
As reported by the Liverpool ECHO, these people have experienced a range of symptoms — such as severe tiredness, body aches, and joint pains.
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These symptoms can reportedly change over time, and anybody who believes they may be suffering from Covid symptoms over four weeks after testing positive is urged to see their GP.
A doctor can perform a check to test if there is any other explanation for the persisting symptoms.
If symptoms are severe, further investigations – including blood tests, chest x-rays and ECGs – may need to be be performed.
What are the most common long Covid symptoms?
According to the NHS, those experienced most often include:
- extreme tiredness (fatigue)
- shortness of breath
- chest pain or tightness
- problems with memory and concentration ("brain fog")
- difficulty sleeping (insomnia)
- heart palpitations
- dizziness
- pins and needles
- joint pain
- depression and anxiety
- tinnitus, earaches
- feeling sick, diarrhoea, stomach aches, loss of appetite
- a high temperature, cough, headaches, sore throat, changes to sense of smell or taste
- rashes
The World Health Organisation (WHO) said symptoms will "generally have an impact on everyday functioning".
It also said: "There is no minimal number of symptoms required for the diagnosis, though symptoms involving different organs systems and clusters have been described. "
