Long covid can show a variety of symptoms that can be mistaken for other viruses
A common cold symptom could also signify that you’re suffering from long Covid. Generally, people will recover from a coronavirus infection within a few weeks after symptoms first appear.
However, guidance from the NHS highlights that some people can be afflicted with a more serious illness and their symptoms can occur for much longer. Long Covid, otherwise known as post-COVID syndrome, is typically diagnosed when the symptoms of a Covid infection last longer than 12 weeks.
Full details of the illness are still not clear, with the NHS noting that it’s a new condition that is still being studied. Long Covid can be harder to identify for some as the symptoms can vary from person to person.
Common symptoms of long Covid
Symptoms of long Covid can vary significantly and many people may mistake many of these symptoms for a common cold or flu. For example, a sore throat and runny nose could signify that you either have a cold or long Covid, depending on how long you’ve been experiencing the symptoms.
Other symptoms can include:
- Problems with your memory and concentration, also called brain fog
- Shortness of breath
- Joint pain and aching muscles
- Feeling extremely tired (fatigue)
- Losing your hair and getting skin rashes, such as hives
- A blocked or runny nose
- Headaches, feeling dizzy and vertigo
- Pins and needles, and aches and pains in different parts of your body
- A cough
- Tummy pain and diarrhoea
- Feeling or being sick, losing weight and not feeling like eating
- Difficulty sleeping (insomnia)
- A high temperature
- Changes to your senses, such as problems with your vision, earaches, hearing ringing sounds inside your ear (tinnitus), and differences in your sense of smell or taste
- Anxiety and depression
- A sore throat
- Sudden confusion (delirium), especially in older people
- Chest pain or tightness and noticeable heartbeats (heart palpitations)
How to find out if you have long Covid
Because long Covid can have a wide array of symptoms, it is first advised that you speak to your GP if you suspect you have it. Typically, a GP will ask you about your symptoms and how long you’ve had them to help with a diagnosis.
Your GP may also decide to carry out a number of tests to rule out other causes of your symptoms, such as a blood test. They may also measure your heart rate and oxygen levels in your blood.
You could also be referred to undergo further tests such an ECG or an X-ray. In some cases, this may be carried out by a team of specialists at a post-COVID syndrome service.
Further details on NHS advice surrounding long-Covid can be found here.