Episode 46: Long COVID and Emerging Variants

Additional resources

Long COVID and Emerging Variants

Q1: I have heard people talking about long-term COVID. What is that?

Long-term COVID goes by many names. Some people call it post-COVID syndrome, long COVID or long-haul COVID. It is formally known as PASC, or post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2. It is a post-viral syndrome and refers to conditions that people experience 28 days or more after first being infected with COVID-19. 

Post-viral syndromes occur from a range of infections, and long-term COVID can be different types and combinations of health problems for different lengths of time. Symptoms persist in an estimated 10% to 30% of COVID-19 patients and can happen to anyone who has had COVID-19, even if the illness was mild, they had no initial symptoms or they no longer test positive for the virus or antibodies. 

Long COVID has potentially affected up to 23 million Americans. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and experts around the world are working to learn more about short- and long-term health effects of COVID-19, who gets them, and why. 

Q2: How can I prevent having long-term COVID?

The best way to prevent post-COVID conditions is to prevent COVID-19 illness. Get vaccinated and boosted. If you are high risk, consider wearing a well-fitted mask – preferably an N95 mask – to help protect yourself and others.

Q3: When should I see a doctor about post-COVID symptoms?

Long-term COVID doesn't usually come with one symptom—there's often a cluster of symptoms. There are many symptoms and they affect many organ systems. Don’t ignore loss of smell, depression, anxiety or insomnia. Any symptom that interferes with your daily life is worth a call to your doctor. If you experience new chest pain, difficulty breathing, bluish lips or any other sign of a life-threatening problem, seek emergency medical care. It is also important to talk to a health care provider because another condition could be masquerading as long COVID.

In spring 2021, Oregon Health & Science University launched a Long COVID Program designed to coordinate care and learn about the long-term effects of coronavirus. OHSU's criteria for Long COVID referrals is 28 days from hospital discharge, or three months when not hospitalized. If you have questions or want to learn more, please call the program at 833-647-8222 weekdays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

Q4: Is long COVID considered a disability?

As of July 2021, “long COVID” can be considered a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504, and Section 1557, if it substantially limits one or more major life activities. “Major life activities” include activites such as caring for oneself, eating, sleeping, breathing, concentrating, thinking, interacting with others and working. “Major life activities” also refers to the operation of a major bodily function, such as the immune system, cardiovascular system, neurological system or circulatory system, or the operation of an organ.

Q5: How do I know if I have long COVID or not?

Because data on COVID-19 and its long term effects only date back to the past two years, experts are still learning what long COVID is and how it affects people. There is no one way to test for long COVID. It is possible to have many of the symptoms of long COVID, but they could be caused by something else. 

To be sure, talk to a health care provider. Health care providers may use COVID-19 antibody tests to confirm previous infection, then rule out other conditions. Treatment is based on a patient’s specific symptoms and may include therapeutics, such as steroids or anti-inflammatory medication. Trials are underway to test new therapeutics for long COVID patients.

According to the CDC, the most common lasting symptoms are fatigue, shortness of breath, cough, joint pain and chest pain. Other issues include cognitive problems, difficulty concentrating, depression, muscle pain, headache, rapid heartbeat and recurrent fever. Additional effects of Long COVID could be loss of appetite and diarrhea, acute kidney injury, blood clots, hair loss and rashes.

For some, COVID-19 may cause the immune system to attack its own antibodies. For others, it may disrupt the immune system and reactivate old viruses like Epstein-Barr. 

No organ system is spared from long COVID.

Q6: My neighbor has long term COVID. How can I help her?

A good place to start is to listen with compassion. Taking steps to understand the person’s experiences might make them feel less isolated. Directly ask what they need or what you can do to help. There will be times where you may not be able to support a person exactly as they need, and it’s OK to acknowledge that. Just be direct in saying what you can and can’t do. 

School administrators, school counselors and school nurses can work with families and health care professionals to provide learning accommodations for children with post-COVID conditions, particularly those experiencing thinking, concentrating or physical difficulties.

Q7: What’s the latest information on COVID variants?

The emerging variant of interest in the United States is still Omicron. The most important thing to understand is the infectiousness of these variants—they move very quickly, and vaccination and boosting is key to preventing severe disease. 

Omicron infection generally causes less severe disease than infection with prior variants. Some people, however, may still have severe disease, need hospitalization and could die from the infection with this variant. The Omicron variant, like other variants, is comprised of a number of lineages and sublineages. The three most common lineages of Omicron are BA.1, BA.1.1 and BA.2.

Document accessibility: For individuals with disabilities or individuals who speak a language other than English, OHA can provide information in alternate formats such as translations, large print, or braille. Contact the Health Information Center at 1-971-673-2411, 711 TTY or COVID19.LanguageAccess@dhsoha.state.or.us.