Mild to Moderate COVID-19 lasts for about two weeks in most people. But people recovering from COVID-19 can experience lingering health problems even when they have recovered from the acute phase of the illness. In those patients, there is no longer live coronavirus running inside their body. If tested, the person would test negative for the coronavirus, but they might be severely debilitated. Long term COVID-19 symptoms are referred to as PASC, which stands for post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 or Post-COVID syndrome. 

People living with post-COVID syndrome are thus known as “long haulers of COVID-19.”

Most common lasting symptoms are;

1. Fatigue 

2. Shortness of Breath 

3. Cough 

4. Joint pain 

5. Chest pain 

Other less common symptoms include; 

1. Cognitive problems 

2. Difficulty concentrating 

3. Depression  

4. Muscle pain  

5. Headache  

6. Rapid heartbeat 

7. Intermittent fever

Although it’s clear that people with certain risk factors (including high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, obesity and other comorbidities) are more likely to have a serious bout of COVID-19, there isn’t a clear link between these risk factors and long-term problems. In fact, post-COVID syndrome can happen in people who have mild symptoms.

The best way to avoid post-COVID-19 complications is to prevent infection with the coronavirus. Practicing coronavirus precautions and getting a COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible are effective ways to avoid getting COVID-19.