Source: CDC.gov
Some people who have been infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 can experience long-term effects from their infection, known as Post-COVID Conditions (PCC) or Long COVID.
Hospitalizations and severe illnesses for lung-related diseases such as COVID-19, can cause health effects like severe weakness and exhaustion during the recovery period. Effects of hospitalization can also include post-intensive care syndrome (PICS), which refers to health effects that begin when a person is in an intensive care unit (ICU) and can remain after a person returns home. These effects can include severe weakness, problems with thinking and judgment, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD involves long-term reactions to a very stressful event.
Some symptoms that can occur after hospitalization are similar to some of the symptoms that people with initially mild or no symptoms may experience many weeks after COVID-19. It can be difficult to know whether they are caused by the effects of hospitalization, the long-term effects of the virus, or a combination of both.
These conditions might also be complicated by other effects related to the COVID-19 pandemic, including mental health effects from isolation, negative economic situations, and lack of access to healthcare for managing underlying conditions. These factors have affected both people who have experienced COVID-19 and those who have not.
Anyone who was infected can experience Post-COVID Conditions. Most people with Post-COVID Conditions experienced symptoms days after first learning they had COVID-19, but some people who later experienced Post-COVID Conditions did not know when they got infected. If you are not fully vaccinated (that is, if it has been more than six months since your last booster):
– Get a COVID-19 vaccine, and keep up with booster vaccines as recommended (currently, every six months).
– FDA-approved N95 masks are the most effective. Cover both your nose and mouth.
– Wash your hands often with soap and water. Use hand sanitizer if soap and water aren’t available.
COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for all people ages 12 years and older, including if for those with COVID-19 or a post-COVID condition. Despite media reports that some people with post-COVID conditions say their symptoms improved after being vaccinated, studies are needed to determine the effects of vaccination on post-COVID conditions.
People experiencing Post-COVID Conditions can seek care from a healthcare provider to come up with a personal medical management plan that can help improve their symptoms and quality of life.
CDC continues to work to identify how common post-COVID conditions are, who is most likely to get them, and why some symptoms eventually resolve for some people and may last longer for other people. Rapid and multi-year studies are underway to further investigate post-COVID conditions.