Long COVID support

For an update on changes to long COVID services in Cheshire and Merseyside and our engagement with the public, click here.

Most people with COVID-19 feel better within a few days or weeks of their first symptoms and make a full recovery within 12 weeks.

For some people, symptoms can last longer. This is called long COVID or post COVID-19 syndrome. Long COVID is a new condition which is still being studied.

Symptoms of long COVID

The most common symptoms of long COVID are:

extreme tiredness (fatigue)
feeling short of breath
problems with your memory and concentration ("brain fog")
heart palpitations
dizziness
joint pain and muscle aches

However, there are lots of symptoms you can have after a COVID-19 infection, including:

loss of smell
chest pain or tightness
difficulty sleeping (insomnia)
pins and needles
depression and anxiety
tinnitus, earaches
feeling sick, diarrhoea, stomach aches, loss of appetite
cough, headaches, sore throat, changes to sense of smell or taste
rashes

When to get help

If you’ve had symptoms of COVID-19 for 4 weeks or more and are worried, contact your GP.

The GP will talk to you about the care and support you might need.

You may be given advice about how to manage and monitor your symptoms at home.

How to help symptoms of long COVID yourself

A lot is still being learned about long COVID. But there are things you can do to help with the symptoms.

Tiredness and fatigue

If long COVID is causing tiredness or fatigue, there may be things you can do to help, such as avoiding drinking too much alcohol and sticking to the same sleep times every day.

Keeping a diary of your day, how you slept, and your tiredness and fatigue symptoms may help you to understand if anything is making it worse. These things are sometimes called triggers.

Read more about tiredness and fatigue, including things you can do to help.

Eating a balanced diet

It’s important to eat well if you have long COVID because this helps you get better and stronger quicker.