Long-term effects of COVID-19 (long COVID)
Most people with COVID-19 feel better within a few days or weeks of their first symptoms and make a full recovery within 12 weeks.
For some people, symptoms can last longer. This is called long COVID or post COVID-19 syndrome. Long COVID is a new condition which is still being studied.
Symptoms of long COVID
The most common symptoms of long COVID are:
- Extreme tiredness (fatigue)
- Feeling short of breath
- Problems with your memory and concentration (‘brain fog’)
- Heart palpitations
- Dizziness
- Joint pain and muscle aches
However, there are lots of symptoms you can have after a COVID-19 infection, including:
- Loss of smell
- Chest pain or tightness
- Difficulty sleeping (insomnia)
- Pins and needles
- Depression and anxiety
- Tinnitus, earaches
- Feeling sick, diarrhoea, stomach aches, loss of appetite
- Cough, headaches, sore throat, changes to sense of smell or taste
- Rashes.
Contact your GP
- If you have had symptoms of COVID-19 for 4 weeks or more and are worried
What happens at your GP appointment
If you see a GP about ongoing COVID-19 symptoms, they may suggest tests to find out more about your symptoms and rule out other conditions that could cause them.
These tests might include:
- Blood tests
- Checking your blood pressure and heart rate
- A chest X-ray
- Measuring your oxygen levels.
The GP will talk to you about the care and support you might need.
You may be given advice about how to manage and monitor your symptoms at home.
Getting a referral to a long COVID service
If the symptoms are having an impact on your life, you may be referred to an NHS long COVID service for children, young people or adults.
Long COVID services can offer:
- Further tests to help diagnose or monitor your symptoms
- Assessments for your physical and mental health
- Treatment for or help managing long COVID symptoms
- Referral to post-COVID rehabilitation for further support, if needed.
How long it takes to recover from long COVID?
How long it takes to recover from COVID-19 is different for everybody.
Some symptoms can improve quickly and others last longer.
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.
Find out which healthcare organisations provide long COVID services in your area.
Research on Long COVID (and how to get involved in it)
