Long COVID

What is Long COVID?

Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC), otherwise known as ‘Long COVID’ or ‘post COVID Conditions’, refers to a wide range of symptoms that people may experience after they have COVID-19, and which impact on day-to-day activity.

The World Health Organization defines PASC or Long COVID as an illness that:

  • occurs in people with a history of likely or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection
  • usually starts within 3 months of first getting sick with COVID-19
  • has symptoms and effects that last for at least 2 months
  • has symptoms and effects that cannot be explained by another medical condition
  • Long COVID also sometimes refers to symptoms from weeks 4-12 following infection.

There are no specific criteria or tests to get a diagnosis of Long COVD. Your doctor will review each of your symptoms and possible causes to reach a diagnosis.

Long COVID symptoms usually start when you first get sick with COVID-19 and continue after most of your other symptoms have gone. A small number of people can develop new symptoms later, even if they had mild or no symptoms when first becoming unwell with COVID-19. Sometimes the symptoms come and go.

Most people do not have ongoing symptoms after having COVID-19, even if they have symptoms for a few weeks after their positive COVID-19 test.

Of those with ongoing symptoms, some people have mild symptoms and can continue with normal daily life. Others may have more severe symptoms and need time off work or other activities.

If you have ongoing symptoms, speak to your GP. Other important conditions may be making you feel unwell or could explain your symptoms, and these may need to be ruled out or treated in different ways.

If you do have Long COVID, early support can help you to manage your symptoms.

Most people with Long COVID can be managed with support, education and advice from a healthcare practitioner.

What are the symptoms of Long COVID?  

Post COVID conditions are still being researched, but we know that a wide range of symptoms are being reported.

Common symptoms include, but are not limited to:

  • fatigue
  • problems with memory, concentration, or sleep
  • ongoing cough
  • breathlessness
  • joint or muscle aches
  • chest pain
  • change of sense of taste or smell
  • diarrhoea
  • mood changes
  • headaches.

Many of these symptoms are also seen in patients recovering from other types of severe illness, or rarely following a viral infection.

Can symptoms after COVID-19 infection be caused by anything else?

It is important to get your symptoms checked by your doctor because these symptoms may be caused by many other medical conditions, including those that affect physical and mental health.

New identification of some conditions, such as diabetes and certain types of heart disease, appear to be more common after a COVID infection.

In some cases, persistent illness caused by severe acute COVID-19 infection can lead to chronic disease affecting the heart, lungs and blood vessels.

There is currently no clear understanding of the full range of medium and long-term effects of Long COVID.

Will I recover from Long COVID?

How long it takes to recover from Long COVID varies. In general, symptoms usually improve within a few months. Some symptoms go away more quickly than others.

People who had severe initial COVID-19 infections (for example, needing hospitalisation or intensive care admission) tend to have a slower recovery and symptoms that last longer.

Recovery may also take longer for people who have other serious health conditions.

Why do people get Long COVID?

The cause of Long COVID is not clear and there is ongoing research to understand why it occurs.

What is known is that having a virus may cause changes, such as:

  • a tiny amount of the virus staying in the body and the immune system responding
  • changes to the immune system
  • prolonged inflammation
  • damage to the lungs, heart, brain or other organs from the disease. For example, from low oxygen levels, inflammation, or blood clots.

When someone has been sick from a virus, it can also mean:

  • being out of shape after being in bed/on the couch for a long time
  • social disconnection after not seeing friends and family for a long time
  • changes to mental health.

People seem to be more likely to develop long COVID if they:

  • have not been vaccinated
  • had a variant that is not Omicron( e.g. Delta or another COVID-19 variant)
  • are female
  • are middle aged
  • have other medical conditions
  • needed treatment in hospital or ICU when they had COVID.

How many people get Long COVID?

The limited information about long COVID in Australia suggests that 5% to 9.7% of people who have had a COVID-19 infection report symptoms at more than 12 weeks. It is not known if these symptoms are mild or severe. It is also not known how many people who have not had COVID -19 also report these common symptoms.

Omicron has been the most common variant in the ACT, and most people were vaccinated before infection, so the estimate of people with long COVID symptoms is expected to be at the lower end of this range.

International studies, which use self-reported data, have wide variation in estimates, from between 2% to 87% of people who have had COVID-19 infection reporting symptoms. The wide range of these estimates reflects differences in how studies are designed. Common difference between studies include:

  • definition of Long COVID used
  • types of symptoms being asked about
  • how long after COVID-19 infection people are asked about symptoms, eg 4 weeks, 12 weeks, or longer.

This makes it very hard to know how many people get long COVID. There is ongoing work to understand this condition.

How do I manage Long COVID? 

Your GP can help rule out other medical conditions that may be causing your symptoms.  If no other conditions are found, your GP can help you develop a plan for how you can best manage your symptoms.

Research continues about how to best manage the range of symptoms that can occur with Long COVID. Currently, people are being supported with treatments that are known to help people with post viral illnesses or other chronic (long lasting) diseases that cause similar symptoms

Some people may need extra support from other medical specialists and from physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and other allied health practitioners to help return to study, work or usual activities.

Simple treatments

Some simple treatments are helping many people get better, such as:

  • breathing exercises
  • ‘pacing’ energy. This means figuring out how much energy you have and spreading it across the key things you need to do each day. For example, this could include making decisions, exercise, self-care, brain work and spending time with people.
  • slowly regaining fitness. This is linked with pacing and means not going too hard or too fast, but not stopping everything either. It’s about finding a good balance for you.
  • mental health support.

Fatigue

Fatigue is the feeling of being tired all the time. It is a common symptom after COVID infection. Small, daily tasks can become exhausting, and you may not be able to concentrate as well as usual.

Tips for managing fatigue:

  • getting enough restful sleep
  • breaking daily activities down into smaller tasks with rest between
  • doing your most important tasks when you have the most energy
  • planning your week by spreading activities that require energy across the week
  • where possible, talking to your manager about flexible work options
  • asking family or friends for help.

General health

Tips to manage your wellbeing at home include:

  • having a healthy diet and drinking lots of water
  • reaching out to family and friends
  • self-care – making time to do things you find enjoyable and relaxing
  • spending time outdoors when you can.

Where can I get more information?

  • Contact your GP or regular medical practitioner. They will do an assessment and help you with symptoms. If needed, they will arrange tests or referrals for you.
  • After 6pm, you can call Health Direct for health advice on 1800 022 222, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Long COVID resources 

acknowledgement icon
Acknowledgement of Country

We acknowledge the Ngunnawal people as traditional custodians of the ACT and recognise any other people or families with connection to the lands of the ACT and region. We acknowledge and respect their continuing culture and the contribution they make to the life of this city and this region.

Last Updated: December 23 2022