While the majority of people who contract coronavirus recover after a few days others can take months to get fully better.
Most will make a full recovery within 12 weeks but for some people, symptoms can last longer. This is called long covid or post covid-19 syndrome.
The chances of having long-term symptoms does not seem to be linked to how ill you are when you first get Covid-19. People who had mild symptoms at first can still have long-term problems.
READ MORE: Common covid symptom in vaccinated people who test positive
The World Health Organisation (WHO) describes long covid as: "A syndrome that occurs in individuals with a history of probable or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, usually three months from the onset of covid-19 with symptoms that last for at least two months and cannot be explained by an alternative diagnosis." The UK Office of National Statistics estimated the numbers of people with long covid increased from 1.3 million in January 2022 to 2 million as of May 1, 2022.
Different types of long covid
Data from the ZOE Health Study app found there were three distinct types of long covid being reported by people, based on the type of symptoms they were experiencing. The largest group of Long covid sufferers reported clusters of neurological symptoms such as fatigue, brain-fog and headache, and was the most commonly found among Alpha and Delta variants.
A second group experienced respiratory symptoms including chest pain and severe shortness of breath, which could point to lung damage related to the infection. This was the largest cluster during the start of the pandemic before anyone was vaccinated. Finally, there was a final smaller group with people who experienced a diverse range of symptoms including heart palpitations, muscle ache and pain, and changes in skin and hair.
Full list of long covid symptoms
According to the NHS website, the most common symptoms of long covid are:
- extreme tiredness (fatigue)
- shortness of breath
- loss of smell
- muscle aches
However, there are lots of symptoms you can have after a Covid-19 infection, including:
- problems with your memory and concentration ("brain fog")
- chest pain or tightness
- 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
How to protect yourself from long covid
In order to lower your risk, the best thing to do is to minimise your chances of infection. You can do this by wearing a mask in crowded or poorly ventilated areas.
You should also avoid meeting up with anyone who may be showing symptoms of coronavirus, and practising good hygiene by washing your hands and avoiding touching your nose and mouth.
Treatment and support for long covid
You should see a doctor if you are struggling with the effects of long covid. They can give advice about how to manage and monitor your symptoms at home.
If the symptoms are having a big impact on your life, you may be referred to a specialist service, rehabilitation service or a service that specialises in the specific symptoms you have. These services can help manage your symptoms and help you recover.
There is also the ‘Your Recovery programme’. This is an online recovery programme to support you while you recover from the long-term effects of Covid-19.
You need to be referred to the programme by a healthcare professional. You will be given a unique code to register on your computer, tablet device or smart phone.
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