Is it Post-COVID?
Making sense of your symptoms is the first step on your recovery journey. Start with our simple self-assessment.
What Is Post-Covid?
For some, it’s shortness of breath and extreme lethargy. For others, it’s swelling and muscle fatigue. For most, it’s a sense of frustration from not being heard or believed.
Post-COVID, also known as Long COVID, is marked by persistent symptoms or new symptoms that develop at least four to eight weeks after COVID-19 infection.
About 10% to 30% of people infected with COVID-19 will experience lingering symptoms. For some Post-COVID sufferers, the symptom severity can even require medical attention.
Post-COVID symptoms
There are many different symptoms of Post-COVID. Post-COVID can include the continuation of symptoms that occurred when a person was first sick, such as shortness of breath, fatigue and brain fog/cognitive impairment. It can also involve a wide range of debilitating problems in the heart, brain, lungs, gut and other organs. In certain cases, symptoms can persist indefinitely after the initial infection. Occasionally, they may appear months after recovery or can even arise in patients who were asymptomatic.
Do you have any of these symptoms?
It could be Post-COVID
Fatigue
When recovering from COVID-19, many people notice they have less energy than before. Sometimes, people feel exhausted or doing light activities after a small amount of physical, cognitive or emotional effort. This is called Post-Exertional Malaise (PEM). Symptoms of fatigue and exhaustion can become severe and cause people to spend all day in bed.
Brain Fog / Cognitive Impairment
While recovering from COVID-19, you may experience cognitive impairment, also known as “brain fog.” These terms describe problems with cognition or thinking, such as trouble remembering things, focusing and concentrating, problem-solving, planning or thinking quickly. Brain fog is one of the most common Post-COVID symptoms.
Breathlessness / Chest Pains
You may experience breathlessness and/or chest pain that lasts beyond your initial COVID-19 infection, or that starts in the weeks after you had the virus. Some common Post-COVID respirator-related symptoms are palpitations, dizziness, chest pain, and shortness of breath, which may be due to heart problems, or can also be caused by COVID-19.
Headaches
Studies show that COVID-19 can cause up to 15% to 40% of cases of headaches. Most patients with COVID-19 report that their headaches improve within two weeks, but they may last a few weeks longer. A Post-COVID headache is a persistent headache that develops after having COVID-19. These headaches can last for weeks or even months after testing negative for the virus.
Sleep Disturbance / Insomnia
Sleep studies of people with Post-COVID, also known as Long COVID, reveal a drastic reduction in sleep quantity and quality. However, there is no clear explanation for why Post-COVID causes sleep disturbances. Some Post-COVID sufferers wake up feeling unrefreshed or like they haven’t slept at all.
Exercise Intolerance / Muscle & Joint Pain
If you feel energized with activity, you’re likely doing a safe amount of activity. If you have significant exhaustion after activity, then you’re probably doing too much and need to scale back and go at a slower pace. Increasing activity after illness is very individualized; there is no one right way.
Don’t see the symptoms you are suffering from here? It could still be Post-COVID. Post-COVID affects everyone differently. If you have had COVID-19 and at least 4 to 8 weeks ago and are not feeling better talk to a healthcare professional today.
Post-COVID Self-Assessment
How it works
Step 1
Take the Long-COVID Assessment
Step 2
Get Your Responses Emailed To You
Step 3
Use the PDF to Talk with Your Doctor or Healthcare Professional
Step 4
Share this tool to help others get the support they need
Do you feel like no one believes you?
One of the biggest challenges for Post-COVID sufferers is the sense that you aren’t being heard. Our self-assessment was designed by specialized Post-COVID healthcare providers to help guide your conversation with your own practitioner.