[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2021\/01\/long-term-effects-of-covid-19\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2021\/01\/long-term-effects-of-covid-19\/","headline":"What Are the Long-Term Effects of COVID-19?","name":"What Are the Long-Term Effects of COVID-19?","description":"Doctors are learning more about the long-term effects that some people experience from COVID-19, including fatigue and shortness of breath.","datePublished":"2021-01-21","dateModified":"2022-06-14","author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/","name":"UPMC","url":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/","sameAs":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/upmc\/","parentOrganization":"UPMC"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"UPMC HealthBeat","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/iStock-1216315312.jpg","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/iStock-1216315312.jpg","height":325,"width":754},"url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2021\/01\/long-term-effects-of-covid-19\/","about":["COVID-19"],"wordCount":539,"articleBody":"Disclaimer: At UPMC HealthBeat, we strive to provide the most up-to-date facts in our stories when we publish them. We also make updates to our content as information changes. However, education about COVID-19 can shift quickly based on new data, emerging variants, or other factors. The information in this story was accurate as of its publish date. We also encourage you to visit other reliable websites for updated information, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and your state and local governments.\u00a0Many people who get COVID-19 have mild or moderate symptoms that disappear in a few weeks. But some people, however, continue to have symptoms for many weeks or months after first recovering from the disease. These long-term effects of COVID\u00a0 can occur in people who had mild, moderate, or serious disease. People at higher risk for long-term symptoms are those with high blood pressure, obesity, or mental health conditions.But even people without any previous health problems have developed long-term symptoms.Common Long-Term Effects of COVID-19Scientists are working to learn more about these long-term effects, including how long they last and how they affect people. It’s not clear how many people experience long-term COVID-19 effects, but they can occur in people of all ages.These are the most common symptoms reported by people with long-term effects:Fatigue (tiredness)Shortness of breathCoughingJoint painChest or abdominal painSome people also experience the following long-term effects:Having trouble thinking or concentrating, like a \u201cbrain fog”DepressionMuscle painHeadacheOccasional feversFast-beating or pounding heartNauseaDiarrheaLess Common Long-Term Symptoms from COVID-19As doctors have learned more about COVID-19, they have discovered the disease affects multiple organ systems besides the lungs. Though it’s not common, some people have experienced the following serious long-term symptoms:Inflammation (swelling) of the heartSerious kidney injurySkin rashHair lossLong-term loss of taste and smellDifficulty sleepingSerious difficulty with concentration and memorySevere depression, anxiety, or mood changesDoctors are still trying to understand the reasons why some people experience symptoms that do not go away for months. Some suspect it has to do with damage the disease causes to the body’s organ systems during the initial infection. But it’s still not clear why some people have long-term symptoms and others don’t, or how long those symptoms might last.It does appear that some people who experience long-term symptoms gradually get better. For example, one study found that 88% of hospitalized patients had lung damage six weeks after they left the hospital. But 12 weeks after their hospital discharge, that dropped to 56% of people with visible lung damage.Researchers are continuing to study people who have recovered from COVID-19, whether they continue to have long-term symptoms or not.Some research suggest a COVID-19 infection could increase the long-term risk of the following conditions:Heart failure or heart attackStrokeBlood clots in the lungsLung failureCognitive decline (poor memory and thinking ability)Anxiety, depression or post-traumatic stress disorderSleeping problemsMuscle and joint painIf you have recovered from COVID-19 but are still experiencing fatigue, shortness of breath, muscle aches, or other problems, tell your doctor."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2021","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2021\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"01","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2021\/\/01\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"What Are the Long-Term Effects of COVID-19?","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2021\/01\/long-term-effects-of-covid-19\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]