Do you have long COVID? Check for these symptoms

Long COVID is no joke. In 2022, 6.9% of US adults reported ever experiencing long COVID, according to the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC). From people complaining of fatigue to something thinking it's all ‘in the mind’, there are thousands of people who continue to struggle with long COVID.

A recent study too confirmed that COVID patients often feel the pressure to prove their illness is real. They often feel dismissed, disbelieved, and unsupported by their healthcare providers. “We found that the problem isn't people with Long Covid refusing help – it's about the deep need for people to be believed. When a patient feels dismissed, offering psychological support instead of medical care can be misconstrued as insulting,” Professor Jane Ogden, co-author of the study from the University of Surrey, said in a statement.

Let’s take a look at what is long COVID, and how to find out if you have it.

What is long COVID?

Long COVID is a chronic condition that occurs after SARS-CoV-2 infection and is present for at least 3 months, according to the CDC. People often show a wide range of symptoms or conditions that may improve, worsen, or be ongoing. People who have had severe COVID-19 have a higher chance of having long COVID.

Though anyone can get long COVID, certain people are more at risk. They are:

• Women
• Hispanic and Latino people
• People who have experienced severe COVID-19 illness (those who were hospitalized or needed intensive care)
• Those with underlying health conditions and adults who are 65 or older
• People who did not get a COVID-19 vaccine

How to know if you have long COVID?

People who have long COVID have complained of a variety of symptoms, ranging from mild to severe. However, some of the common symptoms are:

• Tiredness or fatigue that interferes with daily life
• Symptoms that get worse after a physical or mental effort
• Fever

Other symptoms include:

• Breathing difficulty or shortness of breath
• Coughing
• Chest pain
• Heart palpitations
• Brain fog
• Headaches
• Sleep problems
• Change in smell or taste
• Diarrhea
• Joint or muscle pain
• Symptoms that are hard to explain or manage.

If you feel you may have long COVID talk to your healthcare provider. Health experts are still learning about this condition, so you may require more than one appointment to help recognize the symptoms and get a diagnosis. The treatment for long COVID at present is about the management of your symptoms and may be different from others. According to the CDC, clinical trials are underway to learn more about how long COVID affects different people and possible treatments.