Years after exposure to the COVID-19 virus, many still are experiencing long-term effects known as long COVID. Dr. Fidaa Shaib, pulmonologist and medical director of Baylor Medicine's Post COVID Care Clinic, explains what long COVID is like today.
Long COVID remains a complex and challenging condition, affecting patients in various ways. The length of the illness varies from patient to patient - some also may have symptoms that wax and wane, making the recovery process unpredictable. Shaib says that she has seen patients recover within a six month period, while others continue to suffer from lingering symptoms for years.
"There are going to be people who will take more time to recover, and our focus is on therapies that can help them on their recovery journey with close monitoring," Shaib said.
While it may be hard to tell if long COVID numbers are increasing or decreasing, Shaib says she has seen a steady number of patients seeking care.
"The one shift we noticed was that initially, many long COVID patients were young to middle-aged women who were healthy and physically active prior to the COVID illness. In the last year, we have seen an increased number of men presenting to the clinic," she said.
Symptoms of long COVID include:
- Fatigue with post-exertional malaise
- Cognitive impairment
- Shortness of breath
- Anxiety and depression
- Heart palpitations
- Muscle weakness and decreased exercise tolerance
"A person can get an acute respiratory illness with the characteristics of COVID illness, like losing the ability to taste and smell, cough, shortness of breath and fatigue. This could last for one or two weeks," Shaib said. "Some might even go back to baseline and within a short time they will start having symptoms of long COVID."
To help those with long COVID manage their symptoms, Shaib recommends to:
- Talk to your doctor and seek help from a specialized clinic.
- Focus on your mental health and social connectedness.
- Manage your fatigue.
- Good sleep is an important component of long COVID recovery.
- Pace your activity: As part of a daily routine, patients can do a few tasks at a time, rest and then do more.
"In our clinic, we use a holistic approach with a multidisciplinary cadre of specialists including psychologists, neurologists, cardiologists and others. Most patients are seeking help for their health but also validation of their symptoms, therefore our clinic focuses on building trust and partnership with them. We start by screening and testing our patients with long COVID for issues that we can diagnose and have standardized therapies for," Shaib said. "Another component of our management is focused on support to improve well-being, mental health, fatigue and exercise tolerance."
If you believe you are experiencing the symptoms of long COVID, see a physician for guided assistance.
