Long COVID Knowledge Check
Have you heard of Long COVID, but are not sure what it is or how to protect yourself? Are you or someone you know having health problems Long after you had COVID-19? Check what you know about Long COVID below. Learn about who can get it, what it looks like, and how to protect yourself and your family. Find resources in Arizona to support you and your health.
Long COVID occurs weeks or months after a person recovers from COVID-19.
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Most people who get COVID-19 get better within a few weeks. But some people — even those who have only a mild version of COVID or never tested positive — might have health problems that last weeks, months, or even years. Sometimes these problems can even go away, then come back, and they may be hard to explain.
Ongoing health problems after COVID-19 are called Long COVID, post-COVID-19 syndrome, post-COVID conditions, Long-haul COVID, chronic COVID, and post-acute sequelae of SARS COV-2 infection (PASC).
Anyone who was infected with the COVID-19 virus can experience Long COVID, including children.
You may have Long COVID if you have the same, returning, or new symptoms more than four weeks after getting COVID-19. These problems can affect your daily life. Unfortunately, there is no test for Long COVID at this time.
If you think you may have Long COVID, speak with your doctor or health care provider.
Long COVID Clinics in Arizona
Long COVID includes many kinds of health problems that can be different for each person.
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People with Long COVID can have a wide range of health problems. Problems and symptoms can last for weeks, months, or even years after COVID-19 illness and can sometimes result in disability.
Long COVID may not affect everyone the same way. People with Long COVID experience different types and combinations of health problems. The most common Long COVID health problems are:
- Post-exertional malaise - feeling tired and unwell that gets worse after physical or mental activity
- Fatigue - feeling weak and tired
- Dizziness - feeling faint, woozy, weak, or unsteady
- Brain fog – problems thinking or concentrating
- Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms - symptoms that affect the stomach and digestion such as feeling full or vomiting after eating, diarrhea, and constipation
Other common symptoms include:
- Heart palpitations - fluttering or pounding heartbeats
- Less interest in sex or ability to have sex
- Changes in or not being able to smell or taste
- Feeling very thirsty
- A cough that does not go away (chronic cough)
- Chest pain
- Unusual body movements
You may have Long COVID if you have one or more of these symptoms more than four weeks after getting COVID-19. These problems can affect your daily life, and may be hard to explain. Unfortunately, there is no test for Long COVID-19 at this time.
If you think you may have Long COVID, speak with your doctor or health care provider.
Long COVID Clinics in Arizona
Source:
Thaweethai, T., Jolley, S.E., Karlson, E.W., Levitan, E.B., Levy, B., McComsey, G.A., McCorkell, L., Nadkarni, G.N., Parthasarathy, S., Singh, U. and Walker, T.A., 2023. Development of a definition of postacute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection. JAMA, 329(22), pp.1934-1946. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2023.8823
Link to research summary: https://recovercovid.org/sites/default/files/summaries/ RECOVER-Identifying-Long-COVID-May-2023C.pdf
People who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 have a higher risk of getting Long COVID.
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Getting a COVID-19 vaccine lowers a person’s risk of getting Long COVID. It also helps with having fewer symptoms for people who do get COVID-19.
The best way to prevent Long COVID is to protect yourself and others by getting the COVID-19 vaccine. If you haven’t yet, get vaccinated. If you are fully vaccinated, get a booster when you are eligible.
COVID-19 vaccines are available for free to everyone 6 months and older living in the United States, even if you do not have insurance and regardless of immigration status.
According to HHS: https://www.hhs.gov/coronavirus/covid-19-vaccines/index.html
To find places in Arizona where you can get a free COVID-19 shot, click here.
Other things you can do is to not have close contact with people who are sick with the COVID-19 illness, to get tested for COVID-19 if you feel sick, to get treatment if you get sick, and to wash your hands well or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
Source:
Byambasuren, O., Stehlik, P., Clark, J., Alcorn, K., & Glasziou, P. (2023). Effect of covid-19 vaccination on Long covid: systematic review. BMJ Medicine, 2(1). http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjmed-2022-000385
Notarte, K.I., Catahay, J.A., Velasco, J.V., Pastrana, A., Ver, A.T., Pangilinan, F.C., Peligro, P.J., Casimiro, M., Guerrero, J.J., Gellaco, M.M.L. and Lippi, G., 2022. Impact of COVID-19 vaccination on the risk of developing Long-COVID and on existing Long-COVID symptoms: A systematic review. EClinicalMedicine, 53. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2022.101624
Children can get Long COVID.
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Children can get Long COVID.
The problems of Long COVID may look different for children than they do for adults. For example:
- An adult might be able to tell you that they can’t smell anything. A child will just stop eating and lose weight because nothing tastes good.
- An adult can tell you that they have a hard time thinking or focusing their mind. A child unexpectedly might not perform in school the way they did before.
- An adult can tell you that they are always tired and feel weak. A child just might not be able to play the way they could before they had COVID.
You know your child best. If you think your child has Long COVID, speak with your doctor or health care provider.
The best protection against COVID-19 and Long COVID in children is to get vaccinated.
COVID-19 vaccines are available for free to everyone 6 months and older living in the United States, even if you do not have insurance and regardless of immigration status.
According to HHS: https://www.hhs.gov/coronavirus/covid-19-vaccines/index.html
To find places in Arizona where you can get a free COVID-19 shot, click here.
Source:
Jiang, L., Li, X., Nie, J., Tang, K., & Bhutta, Z. A. (2023). A Systematic Review of Persistent Clinical Features After SARS-CoV-2 in the Pediatric Population. Pediatrics, 152(2), e2022060351. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2022-060351
Additional Long COVID Resources
Join a Long COVID research study.
The knowledge of Long COVID is incomplete. Having Long COVID can be a lonely and frustrating experience. Experts are working to find a treatment, but we are not there yet.
Consider joining a study to improve our understanding of Long COVID and help yourself and others like you.