What is long Covid?
Long COVID is when you still have symptoms of COVID for 12 weeks or longer after the virus has left your body. These symptoms can be unpredictable; they can fluctuate and change over time. As such, long COVID can impact your ability to do your normal daily activities, attend social events, go to work, participate in your regular exercise routine and generally your quality of life.
Common symptoms of Long Covid:
- Cognitive dysfunction or ‘brain fog’
- Problems with concentration, thinking and memory
- Unusual fatigue
- Shortness of breath
- Trouble sleeping
- Ongoing cough
- Muscle, joint, and/or nerve pain
- Headaches
- Digestive problems such as nausea or loss of appetite
Often these symptoms occur or get worse a couple of hours after any exertion. This is called post-exertional symptom exacerbation.
The majority of the Australian cases have occurred in 2022 so there is more research still being conducted now. At this stage, around 5-10% of people who are infected with COVID will continue to have long covid symptoms. However, there have been a lot of changes to the research and information we receive as COVID is continuously changing and so are the vaccinations. A lot of the research we have so far was done outside of Australia and before the Omicron variation.
Physiotherapy treatment for long COVID
- Guidelines and evidence have cautioned against the use of a graded return to exercise for people suffering from long COVID due to the unpredictable nature of symptoms. Quite often, exercising is a common trigger for symptoms.
- Sometimes a simple activity like talking for 5min can trigger your symptoms.
- Thus, the focus of rehab is on resuming everyday activities gradually, so that it is safe and manageable within your limits.
- You shouldn’t push yourself to the point of fatigue, during the exercise/activity or to a point where you are feeling tired the next day from it.
- Your physiotherapist can teach you how to measure your fatigue and shortness of breath and help guide your daily activities back to normal, with assistance to gradually return to exercise when you’re ready.
Will I ever get better?
It is currently unclear how long recovery from long COVID may take. Research reports that people may experience symptoms 3 to 6 months after the initial infection, and some people may experience symptoms for longer than this. However, these are rough estimates, and recovery times may be different for everyone.
Most research shows gradual improvement over time. But it can be slow and with some setbacks.
Unfortunately, there isn’t much research yet into this condition and the recovery from it over time. Researchers and healthcare professionals are still working to understand the causes, treatment options, and potential recovery times.
What can you do now?
The first step is to see your local doctor and find out if what you’re experiencing is long COVID. Your GP can help you with a diagnosis and can help you to manage your symptoms. They may refer you to a physiotherapist to help with activity management, fatigue, and post-exertional symptom exacerbation.
If you have severe symptoms or your life is being extremely affected by your condition, they may also refer you to a specialist or a long covid clinic.
A long Covid Clinic consists of a network of health professionals working together to help you manage your symptoms. It includes respiratory and/or rehabilitation doctors, physiotherapists, exercise physiologists, psychiatrists, and sleep specialists. They collaborate and form an individual management plan to coach you back to health.