What are the symptoms of Long Covid?
There is a wide range of symptoms, and not all symptoms are experienced by one individual. These can include:
- Fatigue, which can be extreme;
- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath;
- Problems with memory and concentration;
- Joint or muscle pains or body aches;
- Anxiety and/or depression;
- Cardiovascular problems, such as heart palpitations;
- Dizziness;
- Gastro-intestinal issues (stomach or digestion difficulties);
- Coughs;
- Headaches;
- Loss of smell or taste;
- Ringing in the ears;
- Sleep issues;
- Loss of hair; and
- Low-grade fever.
For some the symptoms may be mild. In others, they may be extremely debilitating and even life-threatening if left untreated.
What’s causing all these symptoms?
Researchers are still trying to understand what’s happening to Long Covid patients and why their symptoms are persisting.
Some of the theories include:
- The virus has not cleared from the body (known as persistence of viral antigen). It gets reactivated, and the body keeps mounting an immune response to try to clear it.
- Alterations and perturbations in the gut microbiome are creating an imbalance, with certain species of bacteria that are detrimental to health becoming predominant. This may harm the immune system.
- Micro-clots are forming and the body isn’t breaking them down. A growing number of Long Covid studies show a dysregulation of the blood-clotting system, causing hyperactivated platelets and an increase in the blood’s clotting mechanism. The result is micro-clots that can block capillaries, compromising the exchange of oxygen into the cells. This could cause symptoms like acute fatigue, muscle weakness, breathing difficulties and even neurological issues. These clots are highly resistant to being broken down, something the body would be able to do in a healthy state.
- The immune system has become weakened or even dysregulated, allowing pathogens within the body (for example, the Epstein-Barr virus) to reactivate.
- SARS-CoV-2 may be activating our immune systems in a manner that leads to long-term autoantibody production. An autoantibody is a type of antibody that damages our tissues and organs. In a healthy body, the immune system destroys them.
How do I test for Long Covid?
Given the wide range of symptoms and theories as to what may be happening in this condition, there is currently no specific test to diagnose Long Covid. Different medical practitioners may use different criteria.
How do I treat my Long Covid?
There is no single treatment for Long Covid. A doctor would consider your personal history as well as the extent, type, and severity of symptoms before recommending treatment.
If you can, find someone who has experience with other Long Covid patients; they should be in a better position to understand the condition and recommend treatments. Depending on the severity, this may involve one or more specialists. When symptoms are mild, there are many things you can do at home to manage them until you recover.
