What is Long Covid?
D. Leela and Classmates, Chennai

Many of you may have got Covid-19 over the last three years. Some of you may have got Covid-19 and not realised it because you had no symptoms. Others got mild symptoms and recovered without incident, while yet others may have been rushed to hospital because of breathing or heart related problems. Since most of the readers of JM are young, it is expected that most of you are doing fine, and in fact may even have forgotten all about the pandemic.
But for some unfortunate people, both young and old, Covid-19 refuses to let itself be forgotten. Even though they have recovered long ago, the disease has left behind some signs and symptoms and worsened the quality of life for many many others.
Such long-term effects from Covid-19 infection is known as Long COVID or Post-COVID Conditions (PCC). Long COVID is broadly defined as signs, symptoms, and conditions that continue or develop after acute COVID-19 infection. This definition of Long COVID was developed by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in collaboration with CDC and other partners. Although it is more commonly seen among people who had severe or acute form of Covid, it is also experienced by people who only had mild symptoms.

Symptoms
People with Long COVID can have a wide range of symptoms that can last weeks, months, or even years after infection. Sometimes the symptoms can even go away and come back again. For some people, Long COVID can can sometimes result in disability.

General Symptoms
. Tiredness or fatigue that interferes with daily life
. Symptoms that get worse after physical or mental effort (also known as “post-exertional malaise”)
. Fever

Respiratory and heart symptoms
. Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
. Cough
. Chest pain
. Fast-beating or pounding heart (also known as heart palpitations)

Neurological symptoms
. Difficulty thinking or concentrating (sometimes referred to as “brain fog”)
. Headache
. Sleep problems
. Dizziness when you stand up (lightheadedness)
. Pins-and-needles feelings
. Change in smell or taste
. Depression or anxiety

Digestive symptoms
. Diarrhea
. Stomach pain

Other symptoms
. Joint or muscle pain
. Rash
. Changes in menstrual cycles
In addition, there may be symptoms that are hard to explain and manage.

Health conditions
Some people experience new health conditions after COVID-19 illness.
People, especially those who had severe COVID-19, experience multi-organ effects or autoimmune conditions with symptoms lasting weeks, months, or even years after COVID-19 illness. Multi-organ effects can involve many body systems, including the heart, lung, kidney, skin, and brain. As a result of these effects, people who have had COVID-19 may be more likely to develop new health conditions such as diabetes, heart conditions, blood clots, or neurological conditions compared with people who have not had COVID-19.

People More Likely to Develop Long COVID
Researchers are working to understand which people or groups of people are more likely to have Long COVID, and why. Studies have shown that some groups of people may be affected more by Long COVID. For example, 
. People who have experienced more severe COVID-19 illness, especially those who were hospitalized or needed intensive care.
. People who had underlying health conditions prior to COVID-19.
. People who did not get a COVID-19 vaccine.
. People who experience multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS) during or after COVID-19 illness.
Research suggests that people who get a COVID-19 infection after vaccination are less likely to report Long COVID, compared to people who are unvaccinated.

Living with Long COVID
Living with Long COVID can be hard, especially when there are no immediate answers or solutions.  Although Long COVID appears to be less common in children and adolescents than in adults, long-term effects after COVID-19 do occur in children and adolescents.

Data for Long COVID
Studies are in progress to better understand Long COVID and how many people experience them. A recent study found that the risk of experiencing such health issues as diabetes, fatigue or blood clots can persist for at least two years after a coronavirus infection.
Initially hospitalized patients were about 1.88 times as likely to experience acute gastritis, or stomach inflammation as those with no record of COVID-19 at two years after infection; non-hospitalized patients had a risk factor of 1.44 times.
A coronavirus infection can result in heart disease, or in brain problems, and many other long-term risks which scientists are just beginning to understand. The important thing is to stay safe, and whenever the case loads begin to rise, to mask up and prevent getting infected in the first place.
Sources: www.cdc.gov, sciencenews.org