Long COVID

What is 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 if you have symptoms that last for at least three months or more, you may have long COVID. Long COVID is a chronic (long-lasting) condition. It includes a wide range of symptoms or conditions that can range from mild to severe. You may:

• Have symptoms that linger for weeks, months, or even years
• Seem to recover from COVID-19 but then see your symptoms return
• Develop new symptoms or new health conditions within a few months of having COVID-19

There are several other names for long COVID. It can also be called post-COVID conditions, long-haul COVID, and post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC).

Who is more likely to develop 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 long COVID if you:

• Are female.
• Are Hispanic or Latino.
• Had severe COVID-19 illness, especially if you were hospitalized or needed intensive care.
• Had other 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 parts of your body become inflamed.

What are the symptoms of long COVID?

Long COVID does not affect everyone the same way. It can cause various types and combinations of symptoms in different people. The symptoms may affect different parts of the body, for example, you could have:

• 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, constipation, 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 people's symptoms slowly improve over time. But for some people, the symptoms can last weeks, months, or longer. Sometimes the symptoms are severe enough to result in disability, including in children.

When long COVID affects multiple organs in your body, you may be at higher risk of developing other conditions. These include diabetes, heart diseases, and neurologic conditions.

How is long COVID diagnosed?

There is no specific test for long COVID. To find out if you have long COVID, your health care provider:

• Will ask about your medical history. This includes asking if you have had a diagnosis of COVID-19, either based on a positive test, symptoms, or exposure.
• Will do a physical exam.
• May order blood and imaging tests.

Some of the symptoms of long COVID may be hard to explain. The results of blood and imaging tests may be normal. And people who have unexplained symptoms may sometimes be misunderstood by their providers. So, it can take some time to get a diagnosis.

What are the treatments for long COVID?

There is no specific treatment for long COVID. You and your provider can work together to create a personal care plan to help manage your symptoms and improve your quality of life.

Can long COVID be prevented?

The best way to prevent long COVID is to avoid getting COVID-19. Staying up to date with vaccines (including boosters) against COVID-19 can help prevent COVID-19 infection and protect against severe illness.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention