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Long-term Effects of COVID-19

If you’ve had COVID-19 and still feel unwell or have ongoing symptoms, you could have ”long COVID." It is formally known as post-acute sequelae of SARS CoV-2 infection (PASC). You might also hear it called long-haul COVID, post-acute COVID-19, or chronic COVID.

Long COVID includes a wide range of new, returning or ongoing health problems that last for weeks or months after infection. We are still learning about the long-term effects of COVID, including its impact on preexisting heart disease. In general, it seems long COVID can:

  • Affect anyone who’s had COVID, even if it was a mild case or one without symptoms
  • Develop weeks after COVID or even 3-6 months later
  • Be a source of worry, especially given how little we still know about what COVID can do to the body over time, and sometimes lessen what someone is able to do at work or home

Some common heart-related symptoms post-COVID include:

  • Feeling very tired – not able to shake the fatigue
  • Shortness of breath – more so than usual
  • Chest pain, tightness
  • Not being able to exercise or be as active as before without feeling winded or weak
  • Fast or pounding heartbeat (tachycardia)
  • Uneven heartbeats (palpitations)
  • Feeling faint or lightheaded, especially upon standing
  • Difficulty sleeping

Having had COVID is an important part of your health history moving forward – even if you didn’t get that sick from it. So be sure to tell your care team about any COVID infections and if you have lingering symptoms.

It might also be helpful to:

  • Write down and talk with your care team about your experience with COVID. For example:
    • When you were vaccinated and boosted
    • When you got COVID and how sick you were
    • What treatments you were given for COVID, if any, and how you've been feeling since
    • Any ongoing or new symptoms that have been especially bothersome or worrying, and how these are affecting your usual activities
    • If you’ve seen any other doctors for these issues or if any tests have been done
  • Keep a log of ongoing or new symptoms, when they occur, for how long they've been going on, and if anything seems to make them worse or better
  • Talk about how you are coping – it can be upsetting and exhausting to try to connect the dots and understand why some health issues happen after COVID
  • Ask about symptoms that might require urgent medical care and who you should contact
  • Make sure you understand next steps after any appointments – for example, any blood work or imaging tests that are needed, what the results might mean, as well as any follow-up visits; in some cases you may be sent to another specialist or a long COVID clinic near you

  • Last Edited 06/13/2022