This is our third and last track on COVID-19. Why does it take others so long to get over Covid? We explore some of the most common questions and share the best scientific answers to the Covid long-haulers.
QUESTION
What are post-COVID-19 conditions (long-haul COVID)?
ANSWER
Although most people with COVID-19 get better within weeks of illness, some people experience post-COVID conditions. Post-COVID conditions are a wide range of new, returning, or ongoing health problems which can last weeks or months after first being infected with the virus that causes COVID-19.
Even people who did not have COVID-19 symptoms in the days or weeks after they were infected can have post-COVID conditions. These conditions can present as different types and combinations of health problems for different lengths of time.
QUESTION
What are some of the symptoms COVID long haulers can present with?
ANSWER
People commonly report experiencing different combinations of the following symptoms: shortness of breath, fatigue, brain fog (difficulty concentrating), headache, joint or muscle pain, pins-and-needles feeling, sleep problems, mood changes, fast-beating or pounding heart (also known as heart palpitations), chest or stomach pain, dizziness on standing (lightheadedness), change in smell or taste and even changes in menstrual period cycle.
Getting vaccinated is the best way to prevent both, COVID-19 illness and post-COVID conditions.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention