Jun 27, 2023
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Health
Could you have ‘long COVID’?
Is the pandemic over? Society has opened up and masks are much harder to find now — and that’s all the more reason to make sure you are vaccinated and taking sensible precautions, especially if you have a compromised immune system.
Long COVID: Persistent symptoms post-infection
While many people are fortunate enough to experience milder symptoms with COVID-19, even healthy people can acquire “long COVID.” The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says it defines long COVID as “signs, symptoms, and conditions that continue or develop after initial COVID-19 infection.”
But what does that mean to you — and how do you know if you have it?
Identifying long COVID: Consult your doctor for prolonged symptoms
Long COVID is more common in those who have had a severe initial bout with the virus, but it can affect anyone who has had COVID-19. Typically it takes 2-6 weeks for people to recover from COVID depending on the severity of their illness.
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If you’re still feeling bad after that time frame, then it may be time to talk to a doctor. First, it is important to rule out other illnesses that could be causing your symptoms. If your doctor suspects long COVID, then you can start finding ways to make the symptoms go away.
Symptoms of long COVID
Long COVID comes with a laundry list of symptoms. Most people only have some, not all of them. The wide range of symptoms in long COVID is part of the difficulty in diagnosing and managing it - that’s why it is still being researched.
But some of the main symptoms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, include:
- Tiredness or fatigue that interferes with daily life
- Symptoms that get worse after physical effort (also known as “post-exertional malaise”)
- Fever
- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
- Cough
- Chest pain
- Fast-beating or pounding heart (also known as heart palpitations)
- Difficulty thinking or concentrating (sometimes referred to as “brain fog”)
- Headache, stomach, joint or muscle pain
- Sleep problems
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Dizziness when you stand up (lightheadedness)
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Pins-and-needles feelings
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Change in smell or taste
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Depression or anxiety
You may not have all of these symptoms, and they may be caused by other health conditions. If it is long COVID, then there’s some good news — your symptoms should start to get better over time.
Managing long COVID
“It’s always good advice to pace yourself and know your limits,” said Scott Sweeney, DO, of TidalHealth Primary Care. “If fatigue is a problem, identify the triggers and avoid them. If your symptoms get worse instead of better, see a doctor — it could be another health problem being masked.”
Case example: Misdiagnosed as long COVID, revealed colon cancer
That’s what happened to Washington Post reporter Gene Park, who believed he had long COVID, but later revealed that he had colon cancer in a YouTube video in 2022. “It wasn’t long COVID that was giving me fatigue, but the COVID certainly didn’t help. What we think is that it definitely helped the colon cancer speed and run and become bigger.”
Park completed chemotherapy in the spring of 2023 and says he’s looking forward to resuming life as usual.
Prevention is key: Get vaccinated and take precautions
To avoid long COVID (and the risk of it masking symptoms of something even more serious), your best course of action is prevention. COVID-19 vaccinations can reduce the initial severity, which may protect you from long COVID as well. Take sensible precautions, especially in the colder months when cases tend to spike. And please, if you have active COVID-19 – even a mild case — be considerate of others and stay home.
Always take a proactive approach when it comes to your health and schedule an appointment with your primary care physician if needed. If you need a doctor, TidalHealth has providers located near you.
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