The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines state that health professionals should consider that a previous COVID-19 infection is a possible underlying cause of new or ongoing symptoms in people who:
- are presenting with symptoms 4 to 12 weeks after the start of acute COVID‑19 (ongoing symptomatic COVID-19) or
- still have symptoms that have not resolved 12 weeks after the start of acute COVID‑19 (post COVID syndrome).
Post COVID-19 syndrome (also known as Long COVID) is not thought to be linked to the severity of a COVID-19 infection and new or ongoing symptoms can change unpredictably and affect individuals in different ways at different times.
The recovery time for individuals after a COVID-19 infection will vary, but for most their symptoms will have fully resolved by 12 weeks.
As more evidence and research becomes available on the long-term effects of COVID-19, Islanders who think they might be suffering from the long-term effects of COVID-19 should contact their GP.
A GP will be able to offer an initial consultation and then discuss and agree what further diagnostic tests may be required e.g. chest x-ray, blood tests and spirometry testing (lung function test).
More information about Long COVID can be found here: NICE link
