Covid Long Haul

Many individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 continue to experience lingering symptoms months later, even after receiving negative test results. This condition is known as PASC, or Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV. It is also commonly referred to as post-COVID syndrome, long COVID, or COVID long-haul.

Covid Long Haul Symptoms

COVID long haul can affect anyone who has had COVID-19, even if their illness was mild or they were asymptomatic. The most common symptoms of long COVID include chronic fatigue, brain fog, respiratory issues, cardiovascular problems, high blood pressure, and an increased risk of developing diabetes.

Here are the typical symptoms someone might experience with COVID long haul:

  • Fatigue

  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

  • Persistent cough

  • Joint pain

  • Chest pain

  • Memory, concentration, or sleep issues

  • Muscle pain or headaches

  • Rapid or pounding heartbeat

  • Loss of smell or taste

  • Depression or anxiety

  • Fever

  • Dizziness upon standing

  • Worsened symptoms after physical or mental exertion

Covid Long Haul and Functional Medicine

Interestingly, COVID long haul shares several characteristics with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and chronic Lyme disease, including mitochondrial dysfunction, fatigue, brain fog, and muscle pain. Moreover, patients with long COVID tend to respond similarly to the functional medicine approach and treatment protocols used for these conditions.

In functional medicine, practitioners assess the various functions and systems of the body. When evaluating a post-infection state with persistent symptoms across multiple systems, the focus shifts to identifying the root cause of the imbalance. For COVID long haul, it seems the primary causes are immune dysfunction and mitochondrial burnout.

Addressing this requires a targeted, multi-faceted approach that focuses on resolving these underlying issues.

Covid Long Haulers Treatment

The treatment for COVID long haulers takes a comprehensive approach, targeting both inflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction. Mitochondria are responsible for generating the energy needed by all your cells and are most concentrated in the brain (nervous system) and heart (muscles).

The oxidative stress, or free radical damage, caused by a severe viral infection can harm these vital structures, which may contribute to the symptoms often seen in long COVID, particularly fatigue and cognitive difficulties.

From a functional medicine standpoint, treating COVID long haul involves reducing inflammation, rebalancing the immune system, and restoring mitochondrial function. This is achieved through dietary interventions, sleep and stress management, exercise, and the use of intravenous vitamins and supplements.