The lingering impact of a COVID infection
COVID has been a prevailing part of population health since 2020, but the long-term effects are still being studied. Among them is long COVID, a serious illness that can result in chronic, debilitating conditions.
About 7% of U.S. adults, or 18 million people, have had long COVID, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Anyone who has had the virus that causes COVID can experience long COVID in the weeks, months or even years following their initial infection.
Symptoms of long COVID
“While symptoms vary, most cases of long COVID are characterized by extreme, debilitating fatigue,” says Dr. Julie Sheehan, a family medicine and lead virtual COVID recovery clinic physician at Aurora Health Care.
Dr. Sheehan says other symptoms include:
- Brain fog
- Cognitive impairment that may negatively impact memory and word-finding ability
- Headache
- Chronic joint pain
- Idiopathic hypersomnia, an uncommon sleep disorder that causes fatigue during the day even after a full night of quality sleep
Dr. Sheehan says virtual care is a welcomed option for patients with long COVID who often have physical difficulty attending in-person appointments because of their symptoms.
“Living with long COVID can be difficult and isolating, especially when there are no immediate answers or solutions,” she says. “The virtual clinic is a way to meet patients where they are and provide access to care they may not otherwise receive.”
Recommended treatment options
Dr. Sheehan says common treatment options include lifestyle changes related to diet and hydration, along with prescribed medication to address symptoms, when appropriate.
Along with dealing with physical pain, Dr. Sheehan says it is often a big relief for patients just to have their experiences validated.
“It’s a tremendous relief for them to hear that other people had similar experiences and that there are proven options to help them,” she says. “This is not in your head. This is real. Science just hasn’t caught up with this disease, but we are seeing it, we are hearing it, and we’ll try to help you get back to some sense of life and normalcy.”
Contact your health care provider to learn whether you are a candidate and to garner a referral for the virtual COVID recovery clinic.
Are you looking for a health care provider? Find one in Illinois or Wisconsin.
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8 Comments
About the Author
Annette Guye-Kordus is a public affairs coordinator with Advocate Health Care and Aurora Health Care.
Thank you for sharing. Im at 4.5 years. Had to take disability ins. Because its just so mych tobear at times. But we Longhaulers will continue to fight. But our Govt shoukd give us healthcare, financial allowance etc. On one of my Long Covid support groups, a mother told how she had ro go to work for her kids. Bless her.
This in itself is very validating knowing that long COVID is being taken seriously. I unfortunately don’t have a choice and have to keep working despite the symptoms that interfere with day-to-day activities. Stay strong longhaulers!
My lingering symptom is phantosmia–I smell things that aren’t there, mostly cigarette smoke in places where no one is smoking. However, I have noticed a decline in my overall health since I had Covid. I had it before the vaccine. The second booster made me so sick that I haven’t had one since.
I also suffer from phantosmia and smell cigarette smoke & joint pain. So glad to know I’m not alone.
Two-plus years with no taste, no smell. No belief that they’re coming back, so meals are dull, dull, dull. Brain fog and fatigue. Now I read joint pain as well? That explains a lot. I’ve had 4 shots. Dare I get another?
Since covid I have brain fog still and sometimes the words are there but dont come out of my mouth. I can think it and know what I want to say but cant connect it. It dont happen all the time but it is there.
Covid really has affected my muscles so bad that walking is difficult, climbing stairs is almost impossible, kneeling and trying to rise up is totally impossible. Cramping of the leg and arm muscles have become a minute to minute issue. Neurologist is next step. Covid clinic visits for over 2 years and many tests later no luck
I have experienced phantosmia. It smells like burnt food. It is getting better though. The worst has been the onset of tinnitus. I try and eat really healthy. It is helping a little. Someone told me that they lost all feeling in their legs right after receiving the covid vaccine. It came back though.