top of page
What is ME Long COVID_edited_edited.jpg

Types of Long-COVID

The term "Long-COVID" often causes confusion as it can refer to three distinct and different outcomes of COVID-19 infection: Organ and tissue damage caused by the virus; the extended recovery time from the initial infection experienced by some patients; and the development of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), a complex chronic illness triggered in some by COVID-19.

Medical Worker
Livng With ME......
Organ and tissue damage

COVID-19 can cause significant and lasting damage to multiple organ systems, even in asymptomatic individuals.7

​

This damage can include:

​

  • Lung scarring, resulting in reduced lung function4

  • Cardiovascular issues, including increased risk of heart attacks and strokes4,7

  • Brain damage, such as loss of brain tissue and merged brain cells4

  • Kidney problems and liver injury1

  • Microthrombi (small blood clots) in various organs4

 

Studies have shown that 59% of COVID-19 patients had single-organ damage and 27% had multi-organ damage one year after infection.1

​

Hand holding X-ray
Child resting in hospital

Extended recovery time

Recovery from COVID-19 varies greatly among individuals:

​

  • Mild cases may recover within 1-2 weeks5

  • Severe cases can take 6 weeks or longer to recover5

  • Some individuals experience symptoms lasting for months2

​​

Recent research suggests that COVID-19 may linger in the body for 14 months to two years after infection, even after symptoms subside.2

Post-viral illnesses

For some patients, what their doctor has diagnosed as “Long-COVID” shares many symptoms with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) (ref).  ME can be triggered by various pathogens, including Epstein-Barr virus, Coxiella burnetii, and SARS-CoV-2 (the virus underlying COVID-19) (ref).

​

When Long-COVID persists and meets ME diagnostic criteria, it is essentially ME (ref). Recent studies show a significant overlap between this type of Long-COVID diagnosis and an ME diagnosis after COVID-19, with 89% of post-COVID ME cases also meeting Long-COVID criteria (ref, ref2).

Image by Jan Kopřiva
Common symptoms of Long-COVID/ME include:

  • Fatigue

​​

  • Cognitive impairment ("brain fog")

​

  • When triggered by COVID-19, symptoms may also include persistent cough and lung issues

  • Autonomic dysfunction

 

  • Post-exertional malaise (an immediate or delayed, sometimes severe, worsening of symptoms that may occur even after minimal physical, emotional, cognitive or sensory exertion).

 

Each of these outcomes has different implications for patient care and recovery, making it important to distinguish between them when discussing the long-term impacts of COVID-19.

 

 

bottom of page