Long Covid: symptoms, tests and treatment (2025)

What's on this page

What is long Covid?

• How long does Covid-19 usually last?
• What is long Covid?
• How long can long Covid last?
• What are long Covid symptoms?

Long Covid heart-related symptoms

• Heart palpitations after Covid-19
• Chest pain after Covid-19
• High heart rate after Covid-19

Tests and treatments for long Covid

• Is there a test for long Covid?
• Is there a treatment for long Covid?

Managing long Covid symptoms

• Shortness of breath after Covid-19
• Long Covid and fatigue
• Long Covid muscle pain
• Long Covid and brain fog

Understanding long Covid

How long does Covid-19 usually last?

Most people with mild Covid-19 feel better within 1 to 2 weeks of noticing symptoms and fully recover within 3 months.

However, for some people the effects of the virus can last for much longer, or new symptoms can develop. This is called 'long Covid’.

What is long Covid?

Long Covid, also known as post Covid-19 syndrome, is when Covid-19 lasts for several weeks or months after the initial illness.

The World Health Organization (WHO)defines long Covid as symptoms that start (usually) within 3 months of having Covid-19, last for at least 2 months, and cannot be explained by another condition.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), says that the term ‘long Covid’ can also refer to Covid-19 symptoms that last 4 to 12 weeks after infection.

You do not need to have been seriously ill with Covid-19 to develop long Covid, and even those who only experience mild symptoms at first can be affected.

How long can long Covid last?

There have been reports of long Covid symptoms lasting from 3 months up to 3 years.

We're still learning more about how long the illness typically lasts, and it can vary between people.

The Office of National Statistics (ONS)reported that around 2 million people in England and Scotland were experiencing self-reported long Covid as of 7 March 2024.

Of those people:

• 87.3 per cent first experienced long Covid symptoms at least 3 months before.
• 71.1 per cent first experienced long Covid symptoms at least 1 year before.
• 51.3 per cent first experienced long Covid symptoms at least 2 years before.
• 30.6 per cent first experienced long covid symptoms at least 3 years before.

What are long Covid symptoms?

According to the ONS, up to 7 March 2024, the 4 most commonly reported long Covid symptoms were:

1. weakness or fatigue
2. shortness of breath
3. difficulty concentrating
4. muscle aches.

However, there are many other symptoms of long Covid. They include:

• long-term chest tightness or pain
• palpitations or changes in heart rate
• anxiety and depression
• pins and needles
• stomach and digestive problems
• persistent cough and sore throat
• earache and ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
• changes or loss of taste and smell
• rashes.

Some people’s symptoms are mild, while others’ symptoms may have a serious impact on their life.

• Find out what support is available from the UK Government if you have long Covid.

Long Covid heart-related symptoms

Heart palpitations after Covid-19

Many people notice heart palpitationsafter having Covid-19, which can feel like your heart is pounding, fluttering, or beating irregularly. You may feel this in your chest, neck or throat.

They’re not usually a sign of a more serious health issue and are very common, even in people not recovering from Covid-19.

However, it’s a good idea to speak to your doctor if you're worried about your palpitations, they’re lasting a long time or getting worse, or you have a history of heart problems.

Chest pain after Covid-19

Chest painis a common symptom of long Covid. Some people have chest pain that starts during their initial Covid-19 infection, while others begin experiencing it in the weeks afterwards.

We're still learning more about chest pain after Covid-19, but it seems likely that it can be caused by a variety of things, including:

• Muscle pain or soreness – Covid-19 can cause achy muscles in your chest, which can feel sore to touch and usually feel worse with movement.
• Non-specific chest pain – this can feel sharp or dull and is not caused by a problem with your heart, so it can be difficult to figure out what’s causing it.
• Pleuritic pain (chest pain when you breathe in) – this is usually caused by inflammation of the tissue between your ribs and lungs (called pleurisy).

If you experience any new type of chest pain, it’s important to see your doctor, as it can be a sign of something serious, like a heart or lung problem, and may not always be related to Covid-19.

• Read more about how Covid-19 affects your heart.

High heart rate after Covid-19

It’s normal for your heart rate to increase when you have a fever or an illness such as Covid-19.

But some people notice changes to their heart rate, including a fast or rapid heartbeat, that lasts beyond the initial infection.

Temporary changes to your heart rate are not usually a cause for concern.

There are many common reasons you might notice a higher heart rate, including dehydration, stressor anxiety, exercise, caffeineor medicines.

Some people with long Covid find their heart rate suddenly increases when they sit or stand up.

But in rare cases, these changes may be caused by an abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmia).

Speak to your GP if your heart is racing frequently or for long periods of time, you feel worried about it, or you have a history of heart problems.

• Learn more about what can cause a fast heart rate.

Tests and treatments for long Covid

Is there a test for long Covid?

While there’s not a specific test to diagnose long Covid, your doctor may refer you for other tests to help better understand your symptoms and rule out other possible causes.

This includes:

• blood tests
• heart rate and blood pressure checks
• an ECG(electrocardiogram)
• a chest X-ray
• a pulse oximetry (to test your blood oxygen levels).

Is there a treatment for long Covid?

There’s not yet a cure for long Covid. However, there are treatments that may help to relieve some of the symptoms.

Speak to your GP if you're experiencing long lasting Covid-19 symptoms.

Everyone’s experience is different, so it’s important to chat with them about each of your symptoms and how they can be managed.

Your GP may refer you to a long Covid clinic, or a specialist who can help treat the specific symptoms you're experiencing, such as a physiotherapist or psychotherapist.

There are also lots of simple things you can do to help your symptoms as you recover.

Managing long Covid symptoms

Long Covid and shortness of breath

You may notice you have difficulty catching your breath, or you feel out of breath more easily after having Covid-19.

This can feel worrying but try to remember that feeling breathless will not hurt you.

Feeling anxious or panicked, or rushing around, can make shortness of breath worse.

If you feel breathless, try to find a comfortable position and focus on taking deep breaths to help you relax.

This might be sitting on a chair leaning forwards, or lying on your side with your head propped up on cushions.

Take slow, deep breaths through your nose, and breathe out slowly through your mouth.

• Read more about coping with shortness of breath.

Long Covid and fatigue

Many people experience weakness or tiredness which lasts for several months after their Covid-19 infection.

Fatigue can affect people in different ways, but generally, things that you used to be able to do now feel tiring or exhausting.

This can mean you feel more exhausted after a busy day at work than you would have felt in the past, or simple tasks like washing the dishes leave you feeling tired or weak.

If you’re dealing with fatigue, it’s important to pace yourself. This means working out what you can manage without feeling exhausted, and gradually building up your level of activity from there.

Here are some more tips for managing fatigue as you recover:

• If certain activities are tiring for you, try to break them down into smaller chunks, or spread them out across your week.
• Give yourself plenty of time to rest between activities.
• Keep a fatigue diary to track when your energy levels are highest so you can work out the best time of the day to tackle certain tasks.
• Be open with people at home and work about how fatigue is affecting your life so they can support you.
• As you get used to your new routine, think about slowly adding new activities to build up your energy levels, such as a short walk.

Long Covid muscle pain

Muscle aches and joint pains in the shoulders, neck, back, hips and knees are common symptoms of long Covid.

They may have started when you were ill with Covid-19 and continued for many weeks after.

While you may feel stiff at first, exercise can help with pain over time by keeping your muscles and joints moving.

This includes flexibility exercises such as stretching, yoga, Pilatesand tai chi, or light swimming for back pain.

You can also try gentle strength exercisessuch as lifting light weights or working with resistance bands.

Make sure to build up activity gradually and check with your doctor before starting any new exercises.

You can use over-the-counter painkillers or creams to help relieve back or muscle pain. Make sure to ask your pharmacist for specific advice.

If your symptoms are not improving or are getting in the way of your daily activities, speak to your GP or a physiotherapist.

Long Covid and brain fog

Many people suffer from brain fog while recovering from Covid-19 and in the weeks or months afterwards.

You may feel ‘fuzzy’ and find it hard to concentrate or remember things.

Not only can physical fatigue make it hard to focus, but so can anxiety, low mood and insomnia(difficulty sleeping).

You may find that when you manage these other symptoms well, your brain fog gets better.

Here are a few other things that can help:

• taking notes
• removing distractions if you’re trying to focus
• making a clear plan and break down new or complicated tasks into steps
• exercising regularly
• eating a Mediterranean dietincluding olive oil, fruits and vegetables, nuts and beans, and whole grains, which has been proven to improve brain health
• reducing your alcohol intake
• getting enough sleep.

Socialising, learning something new or practising mindfulnesscan also all stimulate the brain and improve your mental health.

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