Long COVID or Post-COVID Conditions: Frequently Asked Questions

Updated: April 10, 2023

People with long COVID can have a broad array of symptoms over weeks, months, or sometimes years, and the effects of long COVID can often be difficult to identify or describe. If you have questions or concerns about your health, please contact your health-care provider. Students can contact the Dartmouth College Health Service. For information on Dartmouth resources available, read coping with COVID-19 and long COVID.

These frequently asked questions were compiled primarily from resources provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Please email covid-19.info@dartmouth.edu with questions about Dartmouth’s COVID-19 guidance. 

What is long COVID?

According to the HHS, “Long COVID is broadly defined as signs, symptoms, and conditions that continue or develop after initial COVID-19 or SARS-CoV-2 infection. The signs, symptoms, and conditions are present four weeks or more after the initial phase of infection; may be multisystemic; and may present with a relapsing– remitting pattern and progression or worsening over time, with the possibility of severe and life-threatening events even months or years after infection. Long COVID is not one condition. It represents many potentially overlapping entities, likely with different biological causes and different sets of risk factors and outcomes.”

What other names are there for long COVID?

People call long COVID by many names, including Post-COVID Conditions (PCC), long-haul COVID, post-acute COVID-19, post-acute sequelae of SARS CoV-2 infection (PASC), long-term effects of COVID, and chronic COVID.

Who is affected by long COVID?

Anyone who gets COVID-19 can develop long COVID. Researchers are working to better understand why some people develop long COVID and others don’t and estimate that millions of people have experienced or are currently experiencing long COVID. So far, studies have found that the following people may be more likely than others to get long COVID:

Some people are at increased risk of getting sick from COVID-19 because of where they live or work, or because they can’t get health care. Health inequities may put some people from racial or ethnic minority groups and some people with disabilities at greater risk for developing long COVID.

How do I prevent long COVID?

To prevent long COVID, the CDC recommends that people protect themselves and others from becoming infected and to stay up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines. Research suggests that people who are vaccinated but experience a breakthrough infection are less likely to report developing long COVID, compared to people who are unvaccinated.

What are the symptoms of long COVID?

People with long COVID can have a variety of symptoms and those symptoms can be ongoing or recurring. They can even be new symptoms. Some symptoms may not seem clearly related to COVID-19, which can make long COVID hard to diagnose. Some of the commonly reported symptoms are listed below; however, this is not a comprehensive list.

  • Feeling very tired

  • Cough

  • Trouble breathing or shortness of breath

  • Aches and pains

  • Brain fog (trouble thinking or remembering things)

  • Trouble sleeping

  • Anxiety or depression

  • Loss of smell or change in taste

  • Fever

People with long COVID can also experience a worsening of their symptoms after physical effort (such as exercising, doing household chores, or even going to the grocery store) or mental effort (such as reading a book, driving a car, or being in a stressful situation). More information on symptoms is available from the CDC.

How long does long COVID last?

People with long COVID can have a wide range of symptoms that last weeks, months, or years after infection. Sometimes the symptoms can go away and come back again.

Can long COVID result in a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)?

Yes, long COVID can result in a disability under the ADA if it limits someone’s ability to do certain things, such as take care of themself, walk, interact with others, or work. Read the HHS guidance on “Long COVID” as a disability under the ADA, Section 504, and Section 1557 for more information.

How is long COVID diagnosed?

There is no test to determine that someone’s symptoms are due to long COVID. Health-care providers consider a diagnosis of long COVID based on a health examination and a person’s health history, including if they had a diagnosis of COVID-19 either by a positive test or by symptoms or exposure. Long COVID symptoms can be similar to those reported by people with other poorly understood chronic illnesses that sometimes occur after infections. In addition, clinical evaluations and results of routine blood tests, chest x-rays, and electrocardiograms may be normal. To help with these conversations, the CDC has tips to help people prepare for an appointment where they plan to discuss long COVID symptoms with their health-care provider.

How is long COVID treated?

There is no medication to treat long COVID at this time. Health-care providers will focus on treating the symptoms present and any underlying conditions associated with COVID-19.

Is long COVID contagious?

No, long COVID is not contagious and cannot be passed from one person to another.

Do people with long COVID test positive for COVID-19?

No, having long COVID won’t cause you to test positive for COVID-19. If you do test positive for COVID-19, it’s most likely a new infection. Wear a face mask and isolate immediately according to Dartmouth’s isolation guidance.