Dealing with Long COVID
The Coronavirus… It may seem like a faraway bad dream, but recovering from COVID-19 is like finishing a tough race or overcoming a challenging obstacle. You might expect to feel relief and return to your usual activities once the race is over, but for some people, it's as if they hit a roadblock just as they thought they were in the clear.
Imagine you've had COVID-19 and recovered from the initial illness. You might expect to feel back to normal after a certain period, but for some people, those pesky symptoms linger. They continue to feel all sorts of aches and pains even after the acute phase of the illness has passed.
This condition is known as "Long COVID" or "post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection" (PASC).
Long COVID is like encountering unexpected hurdles after that aforementioned race. It's frustrating and confusing because you're supposed to be in the clear, but instead, you're dealing with lingering symptoms that affect your daily life.
What does it feel like?
The symptoms of Long COVID can be diverse and affect various parts of the body, such as the lungs, heart, brain and joints.
Basically – a bunch of different pain points all at once. For instance, you might feel like you're running out of breath just going up a flight of stairs (lung symptoms), experiencing brain fog that makes it hard to concentrate (brain symptoms), or feeling persistent fatigue that makes it difficult to keep up with daily tasks (overall fatigue).
These symptoms can stretch on for weeks or even months, making it challenging for you to fully recover and get back to a normal life.
Help at hand
Managing Long COVID calls for a bit of trial and error, unfortunately. Doctors may recommend a combination of treatments, such as medication to control, or at least minimise, specific symptoms, rehabilitation to restore your strength and mobility, and therapy to address any mental health challenges.
So, while you’ve recovered from COVID, these symptoms will need ongoing care to ensure that you regain and maintain good health.
And always important… remember to keep practising good hygiene habits!
Good to know
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) highlight these important factors about Long COVID.
- Long COVID is when you keep experiencing health issues that persist for a long time after you've had COVID-19. These problems can last for weeks, months or even years.
- It's more common in people who had a bad case of COVID-19, but anyone who had the virus can suffer from Long COVID.
- If you didn't get vaccinated against COVID-19 and then catch it, you might have a higher chance of contracting Long COVID compared to someone who was vaccinated.
- You can also contract COVID-19 more than once, and each time you get it, there's a chance you could end up with Long COVID.
- Most people with Long COVID had COVID-19 at some point, but sometimes people who never tested positive or didn't know they had it can still end up with Long COVID.
- Researchers are trying to figure out who is more likely to get Long COVID and why. They're looking at whether certain groups of people, like those hit hardest by COVID-19, are at higher risk.
Disclaimer
This article is for informational purposes only. Always check with your doctor or medical practitioner about any health concerns, before embarking on any fitness or nutrition programme, or using any medication.