What is long COVID?
Long COVID is used to describe symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) that last for over four weeks and cannot be explained by another condition. You can get long COVID even if you had mild coronavirus symptoms.
Long COVID is a new condition. Research into long COVID is still happening, so our understanding of it might change in the future.
How common is long COVID?
According to the latest available data, around 1.9 million people in the UK had long COVID. This is roughly 3 in every 100 people.
Long COVID terms
Your healthcare professional might use these terms to describe your symptoms:
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
| Acute COVID-19 | Symptoms that last up to four weeks after having COVID-19. |
| Ongoing symptomatic COVID-19 | Symptoms that last between four and 12 weeks after having COVID-19. |
| Post-COVID-19 syndrome | Symptoms that last more than 12 weeks after having COVID-19 and cannot be explained by any other condition or diagnosis. |
Long COVID symptoms
Long COVID symptoms are different for everybody.
You could find that different symptoms last for different lengths of time. You might develop new symptoms over time. Your long COVID symptoms could also go away and come back again.
The most common symptoms of long COVID are:
- extreme tiredness (fatigue)
- feeling short of breath
- problems with your memory and concentration (brain fog)
- heart palpitations
- dizziness
- joint pain and muscle aches.
You might also get:
- a cough
- loss of smell or taste
- earaches
- tinnitus
- a sore throat
- chest pain or tightness
- anxiety
- depression
- feeling sick
- diarrhoea
- stomach aches
- loss of appetite
- difficulty sleeping (insomnia)
- pins and needles
- a high temperature
- rashes
- headaches
How long will I have long COVID?
Recovery is different for everyone. Some people begin to feel better within 12 weeks of getting coronavirus, but your symptoms could last longer.
Get support
Call or WhatsApp our Helpline for support with your condition. Get advice on your medicines, symptoms or travelling with a lung condition, or just call us to say hello.