Some of your patients may come to you asking if they might have Long Covid.  Estimates show that millions of people in the United States and across the globe are living with Long Covid. The condition is believed to affect between 10% to 30% of those who have had SARS-CoV-2.

The condition typically appears weeks to months after the initial course of the virus.

Long Covid consists of a wide range of symptoms affecting many systems including cardiac, respiratory, neurocognitive, and immune function.

Some of the most common symptoms of Long Covid are:

• extreme fatigue
• shortness of breath
• loss of sense of smell
• muscle aches

However, there are many symptoms one may have after a COVID-19 infection, including:

• confusion
• forgetfulness
• lack of focus and mental clarity
• chest pain or tightness
• difficulty sleeping
• heart palpitations
• dizziness
• pins and needles
• joint pain
• depression and anxiety
• tinnitus, earaches
• feeling sick, diarrhea, stomach aches, loss of appetite
• a high temperature, cough, headaches, sore throat, changes to sense of smell or taste
• rashes

In July 2021, Long Covid was added as a recognized condition that could result in a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act or ADA.