Although most people will recover following a COVID infection with time, a sizeable minority will continue to have symptoms lasting over four weeks regardless of how unwell they were or whether they were hospitalised.
There is still uncertainty about the long-term effects of COVID infection, however we do know that Long COVID appears to be a multisystem disease sometimes appearing after a relatively mild acute illness and assessment requires a multisystem, holistic approach around the patient. Long COVID can present with clusters of symptoms, often overlapping, which can fluctuate and change over time and can affect any system in the body. It can have a significant effect on a person’s quality of life. This is called post-COVID-19 syndrome or ‘long COVID’.
Common long COVID symptoms include:
- Fatigue
- Breathlessness
- Cough
- Chest pain
- Heart palpitations
- Fever
- Headache
- Muscle pain
- Gastrointestinal problems
- Loss of taste and smell
- Psychological and cognitive symptoms, (including depression, anxiety, PTSD, ‘brain-fog’)
General information
- Long-term effects of COVID-19 (long COVID)
- About – Long COVID Physio
- Long Covid SOS Charity | Recognition Research Rehabilitation
Mental Health
Managing Fatigue
Managing Breathlessness
Physical Activity
Speech and Language
Eat Well
Sleep
Return to Work
Pain Management
Carer Support