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Long Covid: the symptoms and tips for recovery

Updated 18 Feb 2022

While coronavirus symptoms may laissez passer apace, some people are suffering long-term effects. We wait at the symptoms of long Covid and offer some tips to help manage them.

What's on this page

What is long Covid?

• What is long Covid?
• How probable am I to get long Covid?
• How long does it take to recover from long Covid?

What are the symptoms of long Covid?

• What are the symptoms of long Covid?
• Which long Covid symptoms are virtually common?
• Is information technology normal to have breast pain after Covid?
• What type of chest pain do people go subsequently Covid?
• Is it normal to have back pain after Covid?
• Why practice some people get palpitations, feel lightheaded or faint after Covid?

Tips for managing long Covid symptoms

• Fatigue and breathlessness
• Heave your mood and mental health
• Tips for thinking or memory problems
• Relieving joint or muscle hurting

What tests and treatments are available?

• Is there a test for long Covid?
• Is there a treatment for long Covid?

Vaccination and long Covid

• Does getting vaccinated reduce the risk of long Covid?
• Does getting vaccinated help if you already have long Covid?
• Can children get long Covid?

Common questions about long Covid

• Who is nigh at risk of developing long Covid?
• Is long Covid contagious?
• If I accept long Covid, will I test positive?
• What back up can I get for long Covid?
• What inquiry is beingness washed into long Covid?

• Read stories from people with long Covid

We're here for you with information and back up around coronavirus

Our fortnightly Heart Matters newsletter includes the latest updates most coronavirus when yous take a centre status, besides as support for salubrious eating, staying active and your emotional wellbeing.

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What is long Covid?

What is long Covid?

Long Covid is a term to describe the furnishings of Covid-19 that continue for weeks or months beyond the initial affliction. The health watchdog the National Institute for Health and Intendance Excellence (Dainty) defines long Covid as lasting for more than than 12 weeks, although some people consider symptoms that concluding more than eight weeks to be long Covid. The Earth Wellness Arrangement (WHO) defines long Covid as "usually three months from the onset of Covid-19 with symptoms that final for at least ii months and cannot be explained by an alternative diagnosis."

Research published in June 2021 by Royal Higher London, based on half a meg people in England, found ii principal categories of ongoing symptoms: a smaller group of people with respiratory symptoms, such as a cough or breathlessness, (this grouping was more than likely to have had astringent Covid-xix disease initially), and a larger group with a cluster of more full general symptoms, specially tiredness and fatigue.

Research based on people who reported their symptoms of long Covid on the Zoe Covid Symptom Study app also identified two main groups of symptoms, one mainly respiratory, only including fatigue and headaches, and a 2d group of symptoms affecting many parts of the body, including the heart, encephalon and the gut. In the study of 4,182 people, heart symptoms were commonly reported, such as palpitations or increased heartbeat, every bit well as non-eye-related symptoms such every bit pins and needles, numbness and 'brain fog'.

How likely am I to become long Covid?

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimates that between 3 and 12 per cent of people who catch Covid will even so have symptoms 12 weeks later on their initial infection. This is based on data provided by xx,000 people in the Coronavirus Infection Survey (CIS) between 26 April and ane August 2021.

It's important to note that these estimates were made before Omicron became the dominant variant in the UK. Considering Omicron hasn't been around for long plenty, nosotros don't yet know whether it is more than or less likely to event in long Covid. Because more than of the population are now fully vaccinated, it will too be hard to tell whether any differences in long Covid rates are due to the differences between variants or because of the protective furnishings of vaccination.

The ONS estimates that ane.3 million people in the U.k. were experiencing long Covid symptoms as of ii January 2022. This amounts to only over 1 in 50 of the population (2.i per cent). This was defined as symptoms that had lasted more four weeks from the initial infection. This is up from ane.2 one thousand thousand (1.9%) as of two October, reflecting the increase in Covid infections in Dec 2021.

More than 4 in 10 (42 per cent) of those people were experiencing long Covid symptoms more than a year afterwards their first suspected infection. Almost two thirds (63 per cent) said their symptoms had reduced their ability to carry out daily activities.

A study published in June by Imperial College, London, of one-half a million adults in England who reported having Covid disease found that over a third notwithstanding had at least i symptom 12 weeks afterwards.

A study led by the University of Leicester of just over 1,000 people who had needed handling in infirmary for Covid constitute that the majority (seven in 10) had not fully recovered 5 months after they were discharged. The report authors said that ane in five of those in the study could exist considered to have a new inability.

Of those who were working before they had Covid-19, virtually i in five (17.8 per cent) were no longer working and a further one in 5 (19.3 per cent) had experienced a health-related change to their piece of work.

• Learn more than about what coronavirus does to the body.
• The BHF is supporting enquiry into Covid-nineteen and its effects on the heart and circulatory arrangement.

How long does it take to recover from long Covid?

We are all the same learning how long the illness lasts and information technology varies between people. It's important to notation that lasting effects aren't unique to Covid-19 – other viral illnesses tin also have lasting effects. The study led by Leicester researchers described above suggests that amid those who needed hospital treatment for the initial illness, information technology is common for information technology to last five months or more than, and there are carve up reports of it lasting 12 months or more (this includes both people who didn't need infirmary handling initially and those who did.)

What are the symptoms of long Covid?

Although virtually people who get Covid-19 recover chop-chop, for some the effects of the virus tin can last for weeks or months. This is known every bit "long Covid".

For some, it can seem like a wheel of improving for a fourth dimension and so getting worse again. These long-term effects aren't only among those who needed to go to infirmary, or even who felt seriously unwell when they beginning caught the virus.

Lasting symptoms of coronavirus can include:

• fatigue
• breathlessness or shortness of breath
• difficulty sleeping
• anxiety and low
• heart palpitations
• breast tightness or pain
• joint or muscle pain
• non beingness able to think straight or focus ('brain fog')
• change to your sense of smell or taste
• persistent cough

Which long Covid symptoms are near common?

According to the ONS, the nigh common symptoms experienced by people with long Covid are fatigue (51%), loss of smell (37%), shortness of breath (36%), followed by difficulty concentrating (28%).

Is information technology normal to have chest pain after Covid?

Chest hurting is a common symptom of Covid-nineteen. Some people are experiencing breast pain that lasts across their initial Covid-19 infection, or that starts in the weeks later on they've had the virus.

It'south of import to remember that fifty-fifty if you accept had Covid-19 and are now are experiencing chest pain, it may non be related to the virus.

If you experience any new type of chest hurting, information technology'southward important to get medical advice, as chest hurting can be a sign of something more serious, similar a center or lung problem.

When should I seek urgent medical assist?

Telephone call 999 if you experience:

• Chest hurting that is sudden or severe and doesn't go away
• Sudden breast pain that is accompanied by airsickness, nausea, sweating, or shortness of jiff
• Sudden chest pain that is accompanied by a loss of consciousness

If you take chest pain that comes and goes, you should still speak to your GP well-nigh it or phone call 111 – as chest pain should never be ignored.

Some people with severe Covid-xix also experience middle and circulatory bug during their disease.

• Read more than most Covid-19 and your center
• Read more about Covid-nineteen and blood clots

What blazon of chest pain do people get after Covid-xix?

We are still learning more than about chest pain following Covid-19, but it seems likely that it can be caused past a variety of things.

Musculus pain or soreness (myalgia)

Severe viral infections, including Covid-nineteen, can crusade musculus hurting or soreness, which tin can be in a specific expanse or spread more widely. The afflicted area feels sore to the bear upon and is made worse by specific movements such as turning the breast or stretching.

Non-specific chest hurting

Non-specific chest pain, which is likewise called non-cardiac breast pain, can exist sharp or dull, and can happen in brusque bursts or be ongoing. It oft doesn't have a cause that tin exist found.

• Find more information about different types of chest pain on Your Covid Recovery from the NHS.

Is it normal to have dorsum pain after Covid?

While joint and muscle issues can occur anywhere in the body during or subsequently Covid-19, back problems are amidst the well-nigh mutual. You may take had back pain at times earlier getting Covid-19, and if you were less active while you were ill, this could have made joint or muscle bug come back, or become worse. Joint stiffness and muscle weakness is also likely to get worse if yous weren't moving around as much when you were unwell.

In the weeks after getting Covid-19, some people have back ache or a feeling or pins and needles. Every bit y'all continue to recover, many of these symptoms may also ameliorate. Yous tin aim for a residuum of rest with as much of your normal daily activeness you experience you tin do, and also exercise to improve your strength and flexibility, such as stretches or yoga.

When should I seek medical help?

If your hurting is astringent, and interfering with your daily activities, you can talk to your doctor for advice, or if:

• your back pain is getting worse
• fatigue or breathlessness is preventing you from being active
• you develop new symptoms
• your joints and muscle problems haven't improved after three months.

Find out more about how to manage articulation and muscle problems on Your Covid Recovery from the NHS.

Why do some people get palpitations, experience lightheaded or faint after Covid?

There is emerging evidence that some people who develop long Covid have like symptoms to people with a status known as postural tachycardia syndrome, or postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (PoTS). This status tin cause dizziness when moving to an upright position and can be triggered by infections. The about mutual symptoms are feeling lightheaded, palpitations (existence aware of your heartbeat) and fatigue.

At that place have been several case reports in medical journals of people who had standing symptoms following Covid-19 infection, and some were found to have PoTS. PoTs happens considering your body's ways of fugitive a drop in blood pressure when y'all stand up aren't working properly. Usually when you sit down upward or stand up, gravity makes some of your blood flow downwards, which can cause a fall in blood pressure. Your torso responds to prevent a fall in claret pressure by narrowing your blood vessels and slightly increasing your eye rate. But if you take PoTS these automatic changes don't happen. When you movement to an upright position the supply of claret to your heart and brain drops and your middle starts chirapsia faster to recoup.

While there is no cure for PoTS, it can exist managed by nutrition, do and medication, and the researchers say it is important to get an accurate diagnosis so patients tin can exist treated and advised on how to manage their symptoms.

If this sounds like your symptoms after having Covid-19, y'all should let your doctor know to ensure yous are correctly diagnosed and can receive constructive treatment.

The Imperial College of Physicians (RCP) have published guidance for doctors that recognises orthostatic problems (including PoTS) as symptoms of long Covid. Orthostatic means relating to, or caused by, being upright.

The RCP recommend to doctors that patients experiencing breathlessness, palpitations, fatigue, chest hurting and fainting should be checked carefully for orthostatic bug. This includes having an active stand up test, which measures a patient's changes in center rate and blood force per unit area later moving from a lying to a standing position.

• Find out more about PoTS.

Tips for managing long Covid symptoms

Fatigue and breathlessness

• Pace yourself - plan what you're going to practice and don't over-exert yourself.
• Try to interruption tasks which feel difficult down into smaller chunks, and alternating easier and harder activities.
• Consider the best time of the 24-hour interval to do sure activities based on your energy levels.
• Frequent brusque rests are meliorate than a few longer ones, and then balance earlier yous go exhausted.
• Don't cease doing things that make you feel breathless. If you cease using your muscles, they'll go weaker, which tin brand you more incoherent when y'all effort to use them.
• Attempt to gradually increase the amount of exercise yous practise. Try going for short walks or doing elementary strength exercises and build upwards from there.
• If you use a walking stick or a frame, lean forrard on it when yous feel breathless.
• The ME Clan has published a leaflet nearly postal service-Covid fatigue. You tin can too telephone call them on 0344 576 5326 for further support.

Heave your mood and mental health

•  Be kind to yourself during your recovery – be prepared that some days volition be worse than others
•  Connecting with other people can help yous feel happier – make sure to go on in touch with family and friends.
•  Having a daily routine tin can be good for your mood and sense of stability.
•  Stay agile – continuing to motility will help release endorphins and better your mood.

Tips for thinking or memory problems

• Make notes to help you think things – whether information technology's in piece of work meetings or medical appointments.
• Try to reduce distractions.
• Information technology can help to make a clear plan before approaching any new or complicated trouble or situation. Break information technology down into steps, and keep checking your programme as you follow it.

Relieving joint or muscle pain

• Flexibility exercises (like stretches, yoga and tai chi) and forcefulness exercises (like climbing stairs, lifting weights and working with resistance bands) tin be useful. Check with your doctor earlier starting a new exercise regime.

What tests and treatments are bachelor?

Is there a test for long Covid?

At that place isn't one single test to diagnose long Covid. Information technology's a condition that isn't fully understood yet.

Speak to your doc if yous are experiencing lasting long Covid symptoms. They may refer you for tests to help sympathise how long Covid is affecting you and how information technology tin can be treated. Or it may even exist that there is another crusade for your symptoms.

Tests could include:

• blood tests
• heart rate and blood pressure checks
• a sit-to-stand test
• an ECG
• a chest Ten-ray

Researchers are looking into new means to examination for long Covid.

• Observe out more almost why researchers recollect findings about the immune organization could unlock the manner to a test for long Covid
• Larn about a special MRI to better sympathise lung damage from long Covid

Is there a treatment for long Covid?

Unfortunately, at that place isn't i unmarried treatment or medication to treat long Covid.

Anybody'south experience is different, so it's important to chat to your GP nigh the symptoms y'all are experiencing. They tin tell you how to best manage them, and let yous know what other back up is bachelor.

If long Covid is having a large touch on on your life, yous may be referred to a specialist rehabilitation service, or a specialist who looks after the symptoms you take.

There'south lots of things you can exercise at home to manage your symptoms as yous recover.

• Read our tips for managing fatigue and breathlessness, low mood, memory problems, or joint pain.

Vaccination and long Covid

Does getting vaccinated reduce the take a chance of long Covid?

Yes – there is lots of evidence that having the vaccine reduces your hazard of developing long Covid.

In February 2022 the U.k. Health Security Bureau (UKHSA) published a review of 15 long Covid studies from the United kingdom and across the world. They institute that people who caught Covid after having two doses of Pfizer, AstraZeneca, or Moderna, or one dose of the Janssen vaccine, were half as likely to develop lasting Covid symptoms (lasting 28 days or more from the original infection), compared to those who were unvaccinated, or merely had one dose. The enquiry also found a reduction in longer-term long Covid symptoms (up to six months). This review only looked at people who defenseless Covid – given that vaccination also reduces your chance of catching Covid, the actual reduction in long Covid adventure from the vaccine is significantly bigger.

Research from King's College Londonalso suggests that two doses of the vaccine halves the risk of long Covid in adults. The analysis, looking at data from the ZOE Covid App betwixt 8 December 2020 and iv July 2021, also showed that fully vaccinated adults are much less likely to need hospital treatment and tend to report milder Covid symptoms than those who are unvaccinated.

Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) backs this up, showing that two doses of the vaccine could reduce the hazard of developing long Covid past forty% (in people xviii-69 years of age).

These studies happened before Omicron became the dominant Covid variant in the UK, or earlier boosters were widely rolled out, and then more enquiry needs to be washed to understand the impact of these.

• See up-to-engagement research about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine

Does getting vaccinated help if y'all already have long Covid?

There is growing prove that getting the vaccine could reduce long Covid in people who caught the virus before they were vaccinated. Nosotros are all the same learning more about this and what the reasons for it might exist.

In the UKHSA bear witness review, three out of four studies looking at long Covid before and later vaccination constitute that more than people reported an improvement in symptoms (either straight away or over several weeks) than people who were unvaccinated. Only at that place were a few people in all studies who found that their symptoms got worse.

In research published in October 2021, the Office for National Statistics used data from the Britain Coronavirus Infection Survey to expect at the association between Covid-nineteen vaccination and long Covid in people who already had information technology earlier the vaccine.

In inquiry published in October 2021, the Part for National Statistics used data from the Uk Coronavirus Infection Survey to look at the association between Covid-19 vaccination and long Covid in people who already had it before the vaccine. They found that the first vaccine was associated with an initial thirteen% decrease in the likelihood of self-reported long Covid, although it's non articulate from the data whether this was a lasting improvement or if symptoms returned afterward an initial improvement. The second dose was associated with 9% decrease in the likelihood of self-reported long Covid, relative to having received the commencement vaccination, and there was statistical show of a sustained comeback after this.

Which vaccine was used (Pfizer, AstraZeneca or Moderna) didn't appear to brand whatever divergence to the results. Nor did the person'due south age, ethnic background, gender or other wellness issues.

This type of study is observational, which means it can't evidence cause and effect. The report was too limited in that information technology only followed people for an average of 67 days after the 2d vaccine, and non everyone in the study had their second vaccine. And so we tin't be certain from this that the Covid-19 vaccines assist people with long Covid (although we exercise know that they reduce the risk of getting Covid once again). Over time, the quality and understanding of this data will improve and the conclusions and statistics generated will be more definite.

Can children go long Covid?

Yep. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has published data from the UK Coronavirus Infection Survey which looked at how many people showed symptoms five weeks after infection. The survey showed that almost xiii per cent of children in the survey anile between two and 11 and 14.5 per cent of children aged 12 to sixteen reported sure symptoms including fatigue, cough, headache, muscle aches or loss of sense of taste or smell five weeks after falling ill with Covid-19. Merely it isn't clear from the published data how many children these figures were based on.

The ONS also published data which showed that one in x secondary schoolhouse pupils reported ongoing symptoms more than than four weeks afterward a confirmed Covid-19 infection. A like proportion of pupils who had a suspected (simply not confirmed) Covid-19 infection as well reported that they had symptoms that lasted more than four weeks. The most common symptoms were "weakness/ tiredness", reported by nigh half of pupils who had lingering symptoms. Six out of 10 pupils with long Covid symptoms said it express their ability to bear out day to twenty-four hours activities. The information was based on a survey of 2,326 pupils in schools in England from 2-26 July 2021.

• Contact Long Covid Kids for more data and to connect to other parents

Mutual questions nearly long Covid

Who is most at hazard of developing long Covid?

Researchers have analysed data from the COVID Symptom Report app to detect who is most at risk of developing long Covid. They found that older people, women, and those who had a more severe infection (with 5 or more symptoms in the first week of becoming ill with Covid-nineteen) were more probable to develop long Covid.

They found that long Covid affects around i in 10 18-49 year-olds who get Covid-nineteen, increasing to just over 1 in five (22 per cent) people over seventy. The researchers as well constitute people with asthma were besides more probable to develop long Covid. This was the only articulate link they constitute to existing health conditions in people who developed long Covid.

Researchers from University Hospital Zurich have backed up these findings. Their research also found that people with low levels of certain antibodies (IgM and IgG3) in their blood may be more likely to develop long Covid. When they combined this antibody data with the other factors (such equally the person's age, number of initial Covid symptoms, and history of asthma), they were better able to predict who would go on to have long Covid.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics on people with self-reported long Covid said information technology was most mutual among those anile 35-69, females, people living in the most deprived areas, those working in health or social care, or teaching and instruction, and people with another health condition or inability. This report was based on 305,997 people who responded to the Coronavirus Infection Survey in the four weeks to 2 January 2022.

Is long Covid contagious?

Long Covid is not contagious. Long Covid symptoms are caused by your torso's response to the virus continuing beyond the initial illness.

To avoid passing coronavirus on to others, you should cocky-isolate for x days from your original symptoms or positive examination, or if after x days y'all even so have a temperature, or runny nose or sneezing, or sickness or diarrhoea, until these symptoms take gone.

If I accept long Covid, volition I test positive?

No, having long Covid symptoms won't cause you to test positive.

If you get a positive Covid exam issue it's most likely to be a new infection from the one that caused your long Covid symptoms. If y'all have a positive test, equally always, yous need to self-isolate for 10 full days to avoid passing information technology on. If after 10 days y'all still have a fever, or are feeling hot or shivery, or have a runny nose or sneezing, or are feeling or being ill, or have diarrhoea, you should self-isolate until those symptoms accept gone. If whatever of these symptoms are lasting a long time and you lot think they may exist symptoms of long Covid, you can get some other PCR test to run across if you all the same have an active infection.

What support can I get for long Covid?

• Long Covid clinics are beingness rolled out beyond England and have started in Wales to help those struggling with ongoing symptoms. Speak to your GP or healthcare professional to discover out if you are being referred. No similar services accept yet been appear in Scotland or Northern Republic of ireland.
• Your Covid Recovery has been ready by the NHS to provide information and support to those who've had Covid and are nevertheless suffering with symptoms. A bilingual version of the app has been developed by NHS Wales.
• If you're worried about your symptoms, or if they are getting worse, contact your GP. You lot may be able to be referred for physiotherapy, or for psychological support such every bit cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).
• Always phone call 999 if you lot have whatsoever emergency symptoms, such as sudden breast paint, or if y'all think you may be having a heart assail or stroke. Find out more information on when to get medical help.

What inquiry is being done into long Covid?

The BHF and others are funding enquiry to find out more about long Covid. Read more than about what research is happening into long Covid.

Read stories from people with long Covid

If you're struggling with the ongoing symptoms of coronavirus, it can exist helpful to know you're non alone.

	A year of wellness issues: Suki's story "I found the only style to get better is to stop and rest for as long every bit information technology takes." Read Suki's story
	Mark'south ongoing battle with long Covid "Each twenty-four hours was like being on a rollercoaster in the dark." ReadMark's story
	James'southward road to recovery "Things are going in the correct direction. Now, my worst moments aren't equally bad every bit the previous worst moments. I just take to be patient." Read James's story
	Martin's experience of long Covid "Sometimes I just need a fleck of time on my ain so I can sit down, reflect on what's happened, and effort to deal with it." Read Martin's story

We're here for you with data and support around coronavirus

Our fortnightly Heart Matters newsletter includes the latest updates well-nigh coronavirus when you lot have a heart condition, likewise every bit support for good for you eating, staying active and your emotional wellbeing.

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Source: https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/news/coronavirus-and-your-health/long-covid

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