COVID-19 symptoms can sometimes persist for months. The virus can damage the lungs, heart and brain, which increases the risk of long-term health problems. Most people who had coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) recover completely within a few weeks. But some people — even those who had mild versions of the disease — continue to experience symptoms after their initial recovery.
These people sometimes are described as "long haulers" and the condition is called post-COVID-19 syndrome or "long COVID-19."
Following are the most common long-term symptoms being reported:
- Fatigue
- Shortness of breath
- Cough
- Joint pain
- Anxiety
- Chest pain
Other reported long-term symptoms include:
- Difficulty with thinking and concentration (sometimes referred to as "brain fog")
- Depression
- Muscle pain
- Headache
- Intermittent fever
- Fast-beating or pounding heart (also known as heart palpitations)
The following more serious long-term complications being reported, though less common, affecting several organ systems include:
- Cardiovascular: Inflammation of the heart muscle
- Respiratory: Lung function abnormalities
- Renal: Acute kidney injury
- Dermatologic: Rash, hair loss
- Neurological: Smell and taste problems, sleep issues, difficulty with concentration, memory problems
- Psychiatric: Depression, anxiety, changes in mood
Also being reported is the Black Fungus/ Mycormycosis infection which can make the patient experience symptoms like loosening of teeth, jaw pain, swelling, redness, runny eyes, orbital pain, blurred vision, and in some cases, partial or permanent vision loss and blindness