Long COVID refers to long term lingering symptoms after an acute episode of COVID-19 infection. A study done in the Netherlands was reported in The Lancet on 8/6/22 that described core symptoms in patients with Long COVID that are present for many weeks following the acute infection.
Patients diagnosed with long COVID had at least one of the following symptoms 90-150 days after the acute infection: chest pain, breathing difficulties, painful muscles, loss of taste or smell, tingling or heavy extremities, lump in the throat, feeling alternatively hot and cold, dizziness, headache, nausea, and general fatigue.
Having one or more of these symptoms persisting for over 90 days from onset of COVID-19 are proposed as partial criteria to consider Long COVID. Of course, all of these symptoms can be found in many other conditions so a physician needs to evaluate anyone presenting with one or more of these symptoms after acute COVID-19 infection.
If you have one or more of these symptoms several weeks after acute COVID, you may want to see your doctor to determine if you have Long COVID or something else. Also, there are other symptoms that may occur in Long COVID such as cognitive problems. Unexplained symptoms that persist should be assessed by a physician.
