Have you ever heard about ‘long Covid’?

Long Covid or long-term COVID-19 is a term used to refer to ongoing illness after being infected with the virus.


Doctors have found that 'long Covid' may not be one syndrome but could possibly be up to four, affecting all parts of the body and mind.

Reuters, quoting a report about 'long Covid' by Britain’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) said some patients’ symptoms appear in one area of the body only to lessen and pop up in another area.

Long Covid affects the mind and body

The report was compiled based on studies on a Facebook group called Long Covid where their testimony said symptoms can move around around the respiratory system, the brain, cardiovascular system and heart, the kidneys, the gut, the liver and the skin.

“This review highlights the detrimental physical and psychological impact that ongoing COVID-19 is having on many people’s lives,” said the lead of the report, Dr Elaine Maxwell.

She added that health services are already struggling “to manage these new and fluctuating patterns of symptoms and problems”, but more data needs to be collected.

She also said what is needed more urgently is a working diagnosis recognised by healthcare services, employers and government agencies to help patients get support.

Meanwhile, according to patient group LongCovidSOS, data from a King’s College London showed that 10% of COVID-19 patients remain unwell after three weeks and up to 5% continue to be sick for months.

What's obvious is that there is a lot more to learn and understand about COVID-19 so think twice about just "taking chances" with the virus.

You may recover from it (like a certain highly tanned president on the other side of the world), but you may not realise how it will impact your body in months or years to come.