Long COVID

Long COVID is also known as post-COVID conditions (PCC), post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC), and other terms. Long COVID consists of a variety of symptoms that can last for weeks, months, or years after being infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19.  

Long COVID can happen to anyone who has had COVID-19, even if their illness was mild, or even if they had no symptoms when they were infected. People with long COVID may report different combinations of the many different symptoms. Please note that the list below is not an all-inclusive list of symptoms that have been reported by patients with long-COVID. 

• Tiredness or fatigue 
• Difficulty thinking or concentrating (sometimes referred to as “brain fog”) 
• Headache 
• Loss of smell or taste (or an altered sense of taste or smell) 
• Dizziness upon standing 
• Fast-beating or pounding heart (also known as heart palpitations) 
• Chest pain 
• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath 
• Cough 
• Joint or muscle pain 
• Depression or anxiety 
• Fever 

Some of these symptoms can get worse after physical or mental activities. 

Certain groups of people are at higher-risk of developing Long COVID after having COVID-19. They include: 

• People who had severe COVID-19 illness such as those who needed to be hospitalized 
• People with underlying health conditions such as obesity, asthma, diabetes, or autoimmune diseases 
• People who did not receive a COVID-19 vaccine 

More information on long-term effects of COVID-19 illness can be found on VDH's Long COVID webpage and CDC’s Post-COVID Conditions website. The National Institutes of Health also provides information on Long COVID.  

Take measures to protect yourself from COVID-19 infection:

• Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations
  • CDC notes that COVID-19 immunizations can reduce a person’s chance of developing Long COVID by about 30%.
• Take other measures to protect yourself from COVID-19 infection:
  • This includes improving ventilation, avoiding contact with people with COVID-19, and following recommendations when you're sick with COVID-19.

If you have COVID-19, talk with your healthcare provider promptly to see if treatment is appropriate for you.  

• Patients with COVID-19 who are at higher-risk of more severe illness should talk with their medical provider right away to see if drug therapy is right for them 
• There are two oral medications currently available to treat COVID-19. Paxlovid is the preferred medicine and Lagevrio is an alternate if Paxlovid is either not an appropriate medication for the patient or is not available. Both medicines are only available by prescription. 
  • People who have had severe COVID-19 illness, especially those hospitalized or needing intensive care, are more likely to develop Long COVID. 
  • Early treatment of COVID-19 symptoms can also prevent severe COVID-19 illness in those at high-risk.  

Although many possible Long COVID treatments are being studied, no specific drug, vaccine, or other treatment has been shown to “cure” Long COVID.  

However, as noted by CDC, “people experiencing post-COVID conditions can seek care from a healthcare provider to come up with a personal medical management plan that can help improve their symptoms and quality of life.” Additional information can be found on CDC’s Post-COVID Conditions website. 

In July and September 2023, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced is currently enrolling people to participate in clinical trials that will evaluate 4 potential treatments for Long COVID-19 through the RECOVER Initiative.  People 18 years of age and older who are interested in learning more about these trials can visit www.recovercovid.org.  

Post-COVID conditions can be diagnosed and managed by primary care providers or patients may be seen by specialty medical providers. Visit CDC’s Patient Tips: Healthcare Provider Appointments for Post-COVID Conditions before seeing your doctor for more information. If needed, specialty care providers and support services (for example, occupational therapy, physical therapy, social work) can work with people with this condition to help them rehabilitate and regain their strength and abilities. Healthcare professionals may also consider referring patients to post-COVID care centers for additional care. For people with Long COVID who are having work difficulties, referral to an Occupational Medicine specialist may be helpful. 

There are a number of post-COVID care centers (PCCCs) in Virginia and surrounding states. The following list may not include all centers. VDH does not recommend or endorse specific clinics. 

• INOVA Post COVID-19 Recovery and Rehabilitation (Northern Virginia – Alexandria, Fairfax and Loudoun) 
• UVA Long COVID Care; by appointment only; requires referral from a healthcare provider (Charlottesville, VA)  
• Sheltering Arms Post-COVID-19 (coronavirus) rehabilitation (Mechanicsville, VA) 
• Sentara Heart Hospital Post-COVID Clinic (Norfolk, VA) 
• George Washington University Hospital COVID Recovery-19 Recovery Clinic (Washington, D.C.)
• MedStar Health COVID Recovery Program – for patients in Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Maryland 
• Johns Hopkins Post-Acute COVID-19 Team (PACT) - patients can be seen by telemedicine or in-person in Baltimore, Maryland 

If you need support in accessing care for Long COVID, you can request support from VDH Care Resource Coordination.