Long Covid: The ‘common’ symptom’ which ‘can often be misdiagnosed’ – signs

Long Covid: Dr Sara Kayat discusses impact on children

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The health body explains that the chances of having long-term symptoms does not seem to be linked to how ill you are when you first get COVID-19, as “people who had mild symptoms at first can still have long-term problems”. PoTS UK charity explains Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (PoTS) “can be a life altering and debilitating health condition”.

Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland explains that PoTS is “a common symptom” of Long Covid, and refers to a condition where standing up makes your heart race.

It says: “This causes all kinds of other symptoms, like dizziness, blurred vision, muscle weakness, and tremors.

“PoTS can often be misdiagnosed as anxiety, but if you only experience these symptoms when standing up, you may want to speak to your healthcare professional about revisiting the diagnosis.”

PoTS charity explains that “simply standing up can be a challenge for affected people as their body is unable to adjust to gravity”.

It continues: “PoTS is due to an abnormal response by the autonomic (automatic) nervous system and is characterised by orthostatic intolerance (the development of symptoms when upright that are mostly relieved by lying down).

“Symptoms include palpitations, lightheadedness, fatigue, sweating, nausea, fainting and headaches, and are associated with a persistent increase in heart rate from the lying to upright position.”

The NHS also notes fatigue is very common after viral infections, such as Covid and normally it settles after two or three weeks.

The health body does warn, however, “in some people it can linger for weeks or months”.

The NHS says you should talk to your GP so they can rule out any other condition that could be causing your tiredness if:

• Your fatigue is getting worse rather than better
• After four weeks your fatigue is unchanged
• You are worried or have other new symptoms.

There are also some other signs of Long Covid according to the Mayo Clinic, which include:

• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Cough
• Joint pain
• Chest pain
• Memory, concentration or sleep problems
• Muscle pain or headache
• Fast or pounding heartbeat
• Loss of smell or taste
• Depression or anxiety
• Fever
• Dizziness when you stand
• Worsened symptoms after physical or mental activities.

The organisation says COVID-19 symptoms can sometimes persist for months. It explains the virus can damage the lungs, heart and brain, which increases the risk of long-term health problems.

It adds that coronavirus can make blood cells more likely to clump up and form clots.

It states: “While large clots can cause heart attacks and strokes, much of the heart damage caused by COVID-19 is believed to stem from very small clots that block tiny blood vessels (capillaries) in the heart muscle.

“Other parts of the body affected by blood clots include the lungs, legs, liver and kidneys. COVID-19 can also weaken blood vessels and cause them to leak, which contributes to potentially long-lasting problems with the liver and kidneys.”

Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland says Long Covid symptoms often follow a “remission and relapse” pattern, which means that they can get much better or even go away entirely, but then come back later.

It says: “Relapses often happen when people overwork themselves because they feel well and try to do too much. This means it is very important to manage your activity even when you feel well.”

The UK government says if you are concerned about any of your symptoms, you should always seek medical advice from your GP.

It says they will discuss the support they think you need to help you get better.

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