“Long COVID” refers to the many symptoms that develop because of COVID-19, and last for weeks and months after first being infected by COVID-19. It’s also known as “post-COVID conditions,” “long-haul COVID,” “long-term effects of COVID,” or “chronic COVID.” These symptoms include lingering fatigue, shortness of breath, and loss of smell and taste.
Those with mild COVID-19 infections typically recover from long COVID after a couple of weeks. In people with more severe COVID-19 infections, long COVID symptoms usually last months after the initial infection, even after the virus is gone from the body.
