Post-COVID Conditions (Long COVID)
Source: MedlinePlus Health Topics, U.S. National Library of Medicine
What are post-COVID conditions (long COVID)? COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) is an illness caused by a virus. Many people get better within a few days or weeks after being infected with the virus. But others have post-COVID conditions. They may: Have symptoms that linger for weeks, months, or even years Seem to recover from COVID-19 but then see their symptoms return Develop new symptoms or new health conditions within a few months of having COVID-19 There are several other names for post-COVID conditions. It is often called long COVID. But it can also be called long-haul COVID, long-term effects of COVID, chronic COVID, post-acute COVID-19, and post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC). Who is more likely to develop post-COVID conditions (long COVID)? Anyone who had COVID-19, whether it was severe or mild, can have long-lasting symptoms. But you are at higher risk of post-COVID conditions if you: Had severe COVID-19 illness, especially if you were hospitalized or needed intensive care. Had underlying health conditions before you got COVID-19. Did not get a COVID-19 vaccine . Had multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS) during or after COVID-19. MIS is a rare but serious condition in which different body parts become inflamed. What are the symptoms of post-COVID conditions (long COVID)? Post-COVID conditions do not affect everyone the same way. They can cause various types and combinations of symptoms in different people. The symptoms may affect different parts of the body, for example: General symptoms, such as fatigue and fever Respiratory symptoms, such as trouble breathing and cough Heart symptoms, such as chest pain and palpitations Neurologic symptoms such as trouble thinking and concentrating ("brain fog"), headaches , and sleep problems Digestive symptoms such as diarrhea and stomach pain Some people may have a wide variety of symptoms that are similar to those of other conditions, such as myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). Most p