What is Long COVID and what are symptoms?

Long COVID is a term used to describe the symptoms that can persist for weeks or even months after a person has been infected with COVID-19. These symptoms can include fatigue, shortness of breath, and brain fog, among others. Recovering from long COVID can be a challenging and difficult process, but there are several tips that can help you on your road to recovery. Follow these tips to rebuild your immunity and boost your recovering process. 

1. It’s important to understand that the recovery process may take different times for everyone depending on the individual’s immune system. Some people may recover quickly, while others may take longer so always make sure to be patient with yourself and not to compare your recovery to others. According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), most patients appear to recover from acute COVID-19 illness within four weeks. However, some continue to have on-going symptoms or new or recurrent symptoms and conditions after this acute phase.
2. Make yourself time to rest and give your body time to heal, including getting plenty of sleep and avoiding any activities that may cause you to feel worse. It’s also important to listen to your body and not to push yourself too hard. 
3. Stay hydrated. Drinking plenty of water and fluids can help to reduce symptoms such as fatigue and headaches. Drink 2-4 ounces of fluid at minimum every 15 minutes. The optimal fluids to drink are clear liquid beverages with calories and protein, oral rehydration solutions or sports drinks.
4. Exercise can also be beneficial for recovery. While it may be difficult to start exercising, even a small amount of physical activity can help to improve your overall well-being. It’s important to start slowly and gradually increase the intensity of your exercise to help your body to heal. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reminded that people who do little or no physical activity are more likely to get very sick from COVID-19 than those who are physically active. 
5. Eating a healthy and balanced diet is also important for recovery. Eating a variety of foods to get essential vitamins and minerals can help to boost your immunity and boost the rehabilitation process. The British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) recommends eating the food to get the nutrients like Vitamin A, B6, B12, C, D, Iron and Zinc to support the immune system.
6. In addition to the physical activities, it’s important to take care of your mental health. Experiencing long COVID can be emotionally draining, and it’s important to take time to process your experiences. Talking to a therapist or counselor can be helpful, as well as finding healthy ways to cope with stress.