Up to 40% of adults who have recovered from COVID say they’ve experienced symptoms that linger for months

Published 11/30/23, Hannah Murphy, The Messenger

Three years after the onset of COVID-19, experts are now able to treat the most acute impacts of the respiratory virus, but less is understood about the lingering side effects it leaves behind.

Brain fog, extreme fatigue, a lingering cough and respiratory issues are all hallmarks of long COVID. Up to 40% of adults in the United States have reported experiencing the symptoms of long COVID after recovering from their initial COVID infection.

Described as symptoms “lasting three or more months after first contracting the virus,” the effects of long COVID can feel debilitating. And since long COVID is still considered a fairly new medical diagnosis, experts have not yet established best practices when it comes to treating the condition itself.

Researchers are working at developing treatments for long COVID, but it will likely be years before an effective remedy comes to fruition. Until then, COVID long-haulers are left to cope with their symptoms.

Understandably, dealing with constant fatigue, brain fog and a nagging cough can feel frustrating, but LaTasha Perkins, M.D., a family medicine physician based in Washington, D.C., tells The Messenger that there are some simple ways to optimize the recovery process.

Get lots of rest

Routinely missing out on adequate sleep has been linked with a slew of health issues, including heart disease, cognitive impairment, depression and more. And missing out on rest can hinder what many COVID long-haulers have described as an already exhausting recovery process.