With no consensus on a clinical definition of long COVID, it can be difficult to tell if you have it. Symptoms can include fatigue, shortness of breath, chronic coughing, chest pain, joint pain, and heart palpitations, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Common neurologic signs are cognitive and memory problems known as “brain fog,” headaches, difficulty sleeping, a loss of smell or taste, and depression or anxiety.
The condition is more common in people who initially had a severe COVID-19 infection, but studies show that it can appear in people who had mild cases and had previously been in good health.
In many cases, symptoms that appear to come from long COVID can indicate a different underlying health condition, such as diabetes, pulmonary embolism, or cardiac disease, says Avindra Nath, MD, FAAN, clinical director at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Doctors should first rule out other causes, he says, and then determine which symptoms they can treat. Various forms of talk therapy, antidepressant medications, or both can treat depression and anxiety, while rest, deep breathing, meditation, and limited activity can help patients manage chronic fatigue.
If symptoms persist for more than four weeks post-infection, consider visiting a post-COVID care clinic, says Kathryn Burke, project associate at Survivor Corps, an online grassroots organization for people with long COVID. It's also possible to participate in clinical trials, which can be searched for on clinicaltrials.gov
“We may not be able to fix the problem completely,” Dr. Nath says, “but we really don't give up on these patients.”
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