​CALVARY             ST. AUGUSTINE 

What is Long Covid?

Sharon Congleton, RN, BSN

​

In April 2020, shortly after the beginning of the pandemic, reports from patients

who has been healthy individuals were experiencing lingering symptoms and were
not fully recovering from an infection COVID 19. These patients started to refer to

themselves as “Long Haulers.” The term “Long COVID” is defined as signs, symptoms,

and conditions that continue or develop after initial COVID-19 infection.
The signs, symptoms, and conditions are present four weeks or more after the initial

phase of infection. Long COVID is not one condition. It represents many potentially
overlapping symptoms. Some people continue to experience health problems long

after having COVID-19.
 

What is Post COVID Syndrome and how common is it?
Post-COVID-19 syndrome involves a variety of new, returning, or ongoing symptoms
that people experience more than four weeks after getting COVID-19. In some people,

post-COVID-19 syndrome lasts months or years or causes disability. Among people

aged 65 and older, 1 in 4 has at least one medical condition that might be due to

COVID-19. The most reported symptoms of post-COVID-19 syndrome include:

 Fatigue
 Symptoms that get worse after physical or mental effort
 Fever
 Lung (respiratory) symptoms, including difficulty breathing or shortness of breath

and cough.
 

Other symptoms include:

 Neurological (brain) symptoms or mental health conditions, including difficulty

thinking or concentrating, headache, sleep problems, dizziness when you stand,

pins-and-needles feeling, loss of smell or taste, and depression or anxiety.
 Joint or muscle pain
 Heart symptoms or conditions, including chest pain and fast or pounding heartbeat.
 Digestive symptoms, including diarrhea and stomach pain.
 Blood clots and blood vessel issues, including a blood clot that travels to the lungs from deep veins in the legs.

 

What should I do if I have post COVID 19 Symptoms?
If you're having symptoms of post-COVID-19 syndrome, talk to your health care provider. To prepare for your appointment, write down:

 When your symptoms started?
 What makes your symptoms worse?
 How do often you experience symptoms?
 How do your symptoms affect your activities?
 

Your health care provider might do lab tests, such as a complete blood count or liver function test, chest X-rays based on your symptoms. The information you provide, and any test results will help your health care provider produce a treatment plan.

 

Health Corner: Sharon Congleton, RN, BSN
 

References:

1. Long COVID or post-COVID conditions. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/long-term-effects.html. Accessed May 6, 2022.
2. Post-COVID conditions: Overview for healthcare providers. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/clinical-care/post-covid-
conditions.html. Accessed May 6, 2022.
3. AskMayoExpert. Post-COVID-19 syndrome. Mayo Clinic; 2022.