People with post-COVID conditions (or long COVID) may experience many symptoms.

People with post-COVID conditions can have a wide range of symptoms that can last more than four weeks or even months after infection. Sometimes the symptoms can even go away or come back again.

Post-COVID conditions may not affect everyone the same way. People with post-COVID conditions may experience health problems from different types and combinations of symptoms happening over different lengths of time. Most patients’ symptoms slowly improve with time. However, for some people, post-COVID conditions may last months, and potentially years, after COVID-19 illness and may sometimes result in disability.

People who experience post-COVID conditions most commonly report:

General symptoms

• Tiredness or fatigue that interferes with daily life

• Symptoms that get worse after physical or mental effort (also known as “post-exertional malaise”)

• Fever

Respiratory and heart symptoms

• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath

• Cough

• Chest pain

• Fast-beating or pounding heart (also known as heart palpitations)

Neurological symptoms

• Difficulty thinking or concentrating (sometimes referred to as “brain fog”)

• Headache

• Sleep problems

• Dizziness when you stand up (lightheadedness)

• Pins-and-needles feelings

• Change in smell or taste

• Depression or anxiety

Digestive symptoms

• Diarrhea

• Stomach pain

Other symptoms

• Joint or muscle pain

• Rash

• Changes in menstrual cycles