In the two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists have learned a lot about the virus and how it affects people. One discovery made in 2021 was the presence of “long-haul” COVID. So while most COVID patients see symptoms disappear in just a couple of weeks, others may be the lucky “long-haulers” with symptoms lasting for several weeks. Keep reading to learn more about COVID symptoms and their progression.
What is Long-Haul Covid?
Long-haul COVID, or simply long COVID, occurs in around 10% of infection cases. The difference between long COVID and a standard case is that symptoms last much longer than expected. It can develop in patients with mild, moderate, or severe cases.
Types of Long-Haul COVID
According to experts, there are three different types of long COVID that develop for different reasons. The first type occurs when there is extensive cell damage from the virus that causes symptoms to continue. Another type is related to long-term hospitalization due to COVID. Muscle weakness, brain dysfunction, stress, and more can result from this type.
The final type of long COVID is when symptoms reappear after recovery without a new infection being detected. This is the primary type of long-haul COVID that patients experience.
Long-Haul COVID Symptoms
Symptoms of long-haul COVID generally come in waves, often several days apart. Here is a widely accepted pattern of observed symptoms in cases of long COVID.
- First, flu-like symptoms appear, including headache, fever, chills, and fatigue.
- A few days later, many patients experience gastrointestinal issues like diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting.
- Five or so days later, neurological symptoms appear, including confusion, difficulty concentrating, and dizziness.
- Around two weeks after the primary infection, patients may experience changes in blood pressure, lightheadedness, or heart palpitations.
- At three weeks post-infection, many patients report eye infections, skin infections, twitchy muscles, and mouth sores.
Sometimes these symptoms overlap, but in many cases, each set of symptoms may fade off before the next set appears. COVID-19 symptoms like the above may last upwards of six weeks in some patients.
What To Do
If you’ve been infected with COVID and thought you were on the mend, only to be hit by a wave of new and unpleasant symptoms, try to get as much rest as possible to allow your immune system to fight off the infection. Stay hydrated by drinking water throughout the day, and eat nutritious, vitamin- and mineral-filled meals.
Experiencing symptoms of COVID for weeks after you thought you were finished with it can be devastating, especially if they are severe. Luckily, your nearby urgent care center is available for COVID testing as well as treatment of symptoms.
Whenever you need to evaluate COVID-19 testing or illness symptoms consider visiting AFC Urgent Care South Plainfield today! We can ensure that you can get COVID-19 testing right away as well as seasonal illness treatment!
