What is Long covid?

Symptoms of long COVID

Symptoms of long COVID can be different for everyone.

The most common symptoms of long COVID include:

• feeling extremely tired (fatigue)
• shortness of breath
• joint pain and aching muscles
• problems with your memory and concentration, also called brain fog

For further information about other symptoms please refer to the NHS website.

 

Treatment for Long Covid

There's currently no cure for long COVID and the condition is still being researched. But there are treatments that can help ease your symptoms.

You'll be supported by a team of different healthcare professionals, who will look after your physical and mental health.

Your team will work with you to create a plan to help with your symptoms.

 

I became ill with COVID-19 for the second time in September 2023. After a few weeks, it became clear that I wasn't recovering and that new symptoms were emerging. A friend phoned to see how I was and noticed that I sounded out of breath. At that time, I was already off work.

In the first few weeks and months, I experienced a range of symptoms including headaches, fatigue, brain fog, muscle aches, skin rashes, disturbed sleep, aching eyes, hearing problems, and breathlessness. Although my symptoms are now less severe, I still experience fatigue, breathlessness, brain fog, muscle aches, and balance problems.

I was off work from September 2023 until January 2024, when I returned on a phased basis. I'm a secondary school teacher and was working full-time as Head of Department. In November 2023, I reduced my hours to part-time, and in February 2025 I stepped down from my leadership role. Reducing my hours and responsibilities has helped me to manage my symptoms more effectively. It took time to come to terms with the fact that I wasn't the same person I had been before, and that I no longer had the energy to fulfil my role as I once had.

My GP referred me to the long COVID clinic. During one appointment, a different GP from the one I usually saw tried to persuade me not to pursue the referral and encouraged me to return to work quickly. Fortunately, I later saw my regular GP, who supported the referral, and I joined the long COVID clinic in May 2024.

The clinic has been very helpful in several ways. I attended online workshops that focused on specific symptoms such as brain fog, sleep, muscle pain, breathlessness, and fatigue. I also received advice on workplace support and took part in meetings about this. Long COVID can be a lonely illness and is still not well understood by many people, so it was a relief to meet others going through similar experiences. The clinic hasn't cured my illness, but it has helped me to manage my symptoms more effectively and, as a result, improved my quality of life.

Michael's Story