You can feel tired and exhausted for months after your initial infection<\/p>\n\n\n\n
August 19, 2022 \/ Infectious Disease<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n You had COVID-19<\/a> a few weeks \u2014 or even months \u2014 ago. But you\u2019re still dealing with the symptoms of the infection, like fatigue and shortness of breath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You could be part of a group of individuals who experience long-term effects from COVID-19. Whether you call it long COVID<\/a>, long-haul COVID or chronic COVID, the terms all mean the same thing: You\u2019re still not 100%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And when you\u2019re feeling tired or fatigued all the time, as well as feeling breathlessness, it can be frustrating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, how do you know if you have long COVID-19 and what can you do to feel better?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pulmonologist and critical care specialist Michael Ghobrial, MD<\/a>, explains how fatigue and shortness of breath can linger in those who\u2019ve had COVID-19. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s no universal clinical definition of \u201clong COVID,\u201d but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<\/a> (CDC) says that \u201csome people who have been infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 can experience long-term effects from their infection, known as post-COVID conditions (PCC) or long COVID.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n While research is ongoing to understand these symptoms and how they impact individuals, we do know a few things:<\/p>\n\n\n\n In fact, one study<\/a> shows that 1 in 8 people who had COVID-19 will experience symptoms up to three months after they were infected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIn general, females, those with comorbidities or severe COVID-19 infection, as well as the African American population, have been shown to have more persistence symptoms as compared to other groups,\u201d says Dr. Ghobrial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s also possible that you can develop long COVID if you\u2019re reinfected for a second or third time with COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sure, we all get tired from time to time. But when you\u2019re experiencing fatigue<\/a>, you\u2019re overly tired to the point where it affects how you function. You may have trouble getting up in the morning and making it through the day. Your work and personal life can start to suffer, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fatigue can be one of the most common symptoms reported in those with long COVID.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In fact, a recent study<\/a> shows that almost 70% of people who initially had COVID-19 reported that they\u2019re still experiencing fatigue three to 12 months after the initial infection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, how do you decipher between run-of-the-mill tiredness or something more? With long COVID, it\u2019s feeling more tired than staying up too late or feeling exhausted after a grueling workout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s a feeling that people have reported that they haven\u2019t felt before,\u201d says Dr. Ghobrial. \u201cIt\u2019s a different experience, a different feeling.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr. Ghobrial says that it\u2019s key to speak to a healthcare provider about any lingering fatigue you may have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s also important to work with your doctor to pinpoint the reason for your fatigue, but there are lifestyle changes you can make to help manage those feelings of tiredness like:<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat is long COVID?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Fatigue in long COVID<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How to treat fatigue in long COVID<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Breathlessness in long COVID<\/h2>\n\n\n\n