长COVID

Some people infected with COVID-19 experience debilitating long-term effects. This post-COVID condition is referred to by many names, including: 

  • 急性后冠状病毒感染综合征
  • Post-acute sequelae of COVID (PASC)
  • 长COVID
  • 长途COVID

To make reading about it easier, we will use the common term, long COVID. 

The term long COVID does not necessarily mean that a person is still infected with the virus. It means that they are experiencing troublesome, often debilitating symptoms that last beyond 12 weeks after the acute infection is over. Fortunately, most people get better over time and we can help manage your symptoms. 

症状

There are numerous symptoms of long COVID and people may experience just a few, or many of them.

最常见的症状有:

  • 焦虑
  • 身体疼痛
  • Brain fog (forgetfulness or confusion)
  • 抑郁症
  • 极度疲劳
  • 头疼
  • Insomnia and other sleep problems 

其他常见症状包括:

  • 嗅觉或味觉的变化
  • 头晕
  • Gastrointestinal symptoms, including diarrhea and stomach upset
  • 心跳剧烈或快速
  • 耳鸣
  • 呼吸急促（气促）

症状 often get better or worse from day to day. For many patients, symptoms get worse after physical or mental activity. This can make recovery especially challenging. 

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picture of person in group writing

长COVID research and peer support lead to hope and “Grit”

When research on 长COVID was in its early stages, the Post-Acute COVID Syndrome Clinic at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center took a patient-centered approach to learning about, treating and supporting people with 长COVID symptoms.

视图的故事

Our changing understanding of long COVID

The newness of long COVID presents daily challenges and opportunities to expand our understanding of this syndrome.

我们所知道的

We know that long COVID is a condition that can be managed. Even without a known cure, we can treat your symptoms and help you cope with your condition. 我们还知道，长COVID:

  • Is a real and diagnosable reaction to SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) that continues 12 weeks or more after infection.
  • 对每个人的影响不同.
  • Can affect multiple organs in your body, causing 各种各样的症状.
  • Can occur even in those who only suffered a mild case of COVID.
  • Can impact young people, athletes and people accustomed to functioning at high levels.
  • Can occur among people who have received a COVID vaccine, but it is more common among those who have not been vaccinated.
  • Can occur following infection with any of the variants of the virus.
  • Does not usually cause abnormal results of common diagnostic tools, 包括血液检查, 呼吸测试, CT扫描, 心电图和其他心脏检查, 核磁共振和x光.

We can apply what we have learned about other similar illnesses to treat long COVID. Those illnesses include encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), dysautonomia (a disorder of the autonomic nervous system) and other post-infection syndromes. These conditions are also poorly understood. Fortunately, there are ample resources for managing their symptoms.

我们不知道的

Although we know a lot about long COVID, there are many things that we don’t know, including:

  • What causes the specific symptoms of long COVID.
  • Who is most likely to get long COVID following an episode of COVID-19.
  • 如何检测. 目前, we make the diagnosis based on your medical history, symptoms and by excluding other diseases that can cause similar symptoms.
  • 如何最好地治疗长COVID. This makes it difficult for healthcare providers to know how to manage a person's symptoms. For those who suffer from it, this difficulty can be frustrating.
  • What the SARS-CoV-2 virus does to the body to trigger such significant responses. Several possible causes of long COVID's symptoms include: 
    • An overactive immune response that releases tissue-injuring substances.
    • An immune system that attacks its own organs.
    • Particles of the virus that remain active in the body.
    • Micro-clotting, which is the formation of tiny clots in the blood vessels during acute COVID infection.

了解更多关于long COVID的信息

研究 into the prevention, cause and treatment of long COVID is ongoing. These resources will keep you updated on the latest findings: