As COVID-19 continues to spread throughout communities, many Americans who’ve had the virus report persistent and often debilitating symptoms—long after their initial infection has passed. Referred to as "long COVID,” this condition is a growing concern for health care professionals and researchers, not to mention the people whose lives continue to be impacted.

Consider these long COVID facts:

• A 2025 study by the World Health Organization (WHO) found that the global prevalence of long COVID was 36% in people with a confirmed COVID diagnosis.¹
• According to the most recent data, long COVID affects roughly 6% of U.S. adults,² while 15% reported having had long COVID symptoms at some point.³ 
• More than a quarter of adults with long COVID (26.4%) reported significant limitations to their daily activity.²
• Roughly 1 million people may be absent from the workforce at any given time due to long COVID.⁴

What is long COVID?

Long COVID is defined by WHO as “the continuation or development of new symptoms three months after the initial SARS-CoV-2 infection, with these symptoms lasting for at least two months with no other explanation.”

Other names for long COVID include:

• Long-haul COVID
• Post-COVID conditions
• Post-acute COVID-19
• Chronic COVID
• Post-acute sequelae of SARS CoV-2 infection (PASC)

The symptoms associated with long COVID can last for several weeks, months, or even years in some cases. Symptoms may be so severe that long COVID can now be considered a disability under the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA).

What are the symptoms of long COVID?

There is a wide constellation of reported symptoms of long COVID—up to 200, in fact. Some may mimic the symptoms of an acute COVID infection, while others are more similar to myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).

"Long COVID is a complex disorder,” said JD Davids, founder of the Network for Long COVID Justice and Strategies for High Impact (S4HI), which sponsors the Long COVID Justice project. “It can have many different facets that include different diseases or conditions."

Symptoms of long COVID include:

• Severe fatigue
• Fever and chills
• Insomnia
• Brain fog
• Headaches and dizziness
• Cognitive problems
• Loss of or distorted sense of taste or smell
• Loss of appetite
• Nasal congestion
• Changes in vision
• Swelling in feet and legs
• Neck pain
• Hair loss
• Rashes
• Muscle aches
• Joint pain

For many people with long COVID, physical activity leads to a notable worsening of symptoms; this is called post-exertional malaise. Long COVID may also cause other health conditions to develop, such as diabetes and heart failure.

Linda Tomkow, 69, knows the symptoms of long COVID all too well. After a bout with COVID in 2020, an X-ray of her chest revealed pneumonia. Nearly a year after testing positive for the virus, Linda was still experiencing difficulty breathing, brain fog, and persistent fatigue. "It's the worst fatigue of your life," she told Northwestern Medicine. "It's really been a team effort with my doctors to help me slowly get better."

Who is more likely to get long COVID?

While anyone can experience lingering COVID symptoms, there are certain people who are at higher risk for developing long COVID. These include:

• Older adults (especially age 65+)
• People with certain health conditions
• People who had severe COVID illness in the past
• Those who have not received a COVID vaccine
• Hispanic and Latino people

• Women

Older adults are more vulnerable to having long COVID due to a few reasons. For one thing, our immunity weakens as we age, making it more difficult to fight off infection. Older people are also more likely to have chronic health conditions that can lead to complications from the virus. In addition, older adults tend to have higher levels of systemic inflammation, which can increase the risk of severe COVID disease.

Health inequities also play a role in developing long COVID. People with low income, people with disabilities, LGBTQI+ communities, and those living in rural areas are just some of the populations with risk factors that make them more vulnerable to long COVID. These inequities may increase both the likelihood and the impact of this condition.

“When we look at people of color, Black, brown, and Indigenous people have much higher rates of COVID loss as well as higher rates of long COVID, and this may be attributable to 72% of those working outside the home,” Davids explained.

What is the treatment for long COVID?

Since this condition involves a vast range of symptoms, there is no specific long COVID test or treatment. Diagnosis is usually made through a physical exam, reported symptoms, and medical history (including any previous COVID-19 infections). If you’ve been diagnosed with long COVID, you should work with your health care provider(s) to create a plan to manage your individual symptoms. This can help improve your quality of life.

Davids says it's import to advocate for your own care. "What's key is that if you feel like something is wrong, trust yourself,” he said. “Especially as older adults, we’re told, 'Well, that's just aging, we can't do anything.' But we have the right to care."

Davids also stressed the value of building a supportive community. In addition to being able to exchange helpful resources and tips, finding others on the same journey as you can help improve your social connectedness and emotional well-being.

How can I prevent long COVID?

When it comes to avoiding long COVID, the best strategy is to prevent getting infected with COVID-19. Beyond basic hygiene practices like washing your hands often, you can help protect yourself and the people around you by:

• Getting your 2025-2026 COVID vaccine—according to CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), vaccination for anyone age 6 months+ is a personal decision made with a health care provider
• Avoiding close contact with people who have a confirmed COVID infection
• Wearing a well-fitting mask out in public or in crowded spaces (e.g., a KN95 mask)
• Seeking treatment if you have COVID and are at high risk for severe illness
• Isolating if you have a suspected or confirmed COVID infection

Can long COVID cause anxiety and depression?

The mental and emotional toll of long COVID cannot be understated. A 2024 study found that depression and anxiety can show up alongside this chronic condition and may make someone more vulnerable to it in the first place.⁵

How does long COVID affect a person’s emotional well-being? The condition itself can cause neurological symptoms that affect mental health. Secondary factors—such as prolonged social isolation, extreme fatigue, physical limitations, and sleep disturbances—can also wreak havoc on a person’s happiness. People with long COVID also may experience a sense of shame regarding their experience.

"If we can no longer safely attend social and public events, there is a myriad of research showing that older adults are harmed by isolation and loneliness,” Davids said. 

Which mental health conditions are linked with long COVID? They include:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Psychosis
• Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)

Long COVID depression rates may be even higher for those facing socioeconomic barriers that cause additional stress—such as limited access to quality health care services and low income.

While there's no definitive treatment for mental health problems stemming from long COVID, some people may benefit from traditional interventions like talk therapy, medication, and stress management practices. Having a solid support network of trusted health care providers, family, and friends can help reduce stress and ease social isolation.

Below is a list of resources Davids recommended that can be helpful to long COVID survivors, families, caregivers, and professionals.

You’re not alone: Long COVID support resources

• The Long COVID Survival Guide: How to Take Care of Yourself and What Comes Next by Fiona Lowenstein: This book is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other book retailers.
• Long COVID Justice: This online resource features articles, webinars, and support group information for long COVID survivors and their families. It also explains how you can get involved in advocacy efforts.
• Solve M.E. Long COVID Initiative: Find information on long COVID symptoms and diagnosis, research, advocacy, and news.
• COVID-19 Longhauler Advocacy Project (C19LAP): This website outlines the basics of long COVID and includes a list of long COVID support groups on Facebook.
• Long COVID Physio Video Series: This is a set of educational videos about long COVID, available in multiple languages.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Living With Long COVID Resource Center: This page includes information on the impacts of long COVID, caring for someone with long COVID, and managing symptoms.

While the COVID-19 public health emergency has ended, COVID should still be considered a national priority. Our long-term health—and that of the people we care about—depends on it.

Brush up on the latest news and knowledge at NCOA’s COVID-19 for Older Adults resource library.

Sources

1. Yiren Hou, et al. Global Prevalence of Long COVID, Its Subtypes, and Risk Factors: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Open Forum Infectious Diseases. September 9, 2025. Found on the internet at https://academic.oup.com/ofid/article/12/9/ofaf533/8244677

2. Nicole D. Ford, PhD et. al. Long COVID and Significant Activity Limitation Among Adults, by Age — United States, June 1–13, 2022, to June 7–19, 2023. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). August 11, 2023. Found on the internet at https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/wr/mm7232a3.htm

3. KFF. Long COVID: What Do the Latest Data Show? Jan. 26, 2023. Found on the internet at https://www.kff.org/policy-watch/long-covid-what-do-latest-data-show/

4. JAMA Health Forum. The Costs of Long COVID. May 12, 2022. Found on the internet at https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama-health-forum/fullarticle/2792505

5. Petra Engelmann, et al. Psychological factors associated with Long COVID: a systematic review and meta-analysis. eClinicalMedicine. August 2024. Found on the internet at https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(24)00335-3/fulltext