We may be edging ever closer to the end of lockdown but for many people the impact of Covid will go on for much longer. 

For some who contract Covid they are left with longer term symptoms afterwards. 

Guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) define long Covid as “signs and symptoms that develop during or following an infection consistent with Covid-19 which continue for more than 12 weeks and are not explained by an alternative diagnosis”.

The condition is associated with a range of symptoms, from fatigue and breathlessness to anxiety and depression.

Data from the Office for National Statistics published in December 2020 suggested around 186,000 people suffer problems for up to 12 weeks.

Reports suggest even those with relatively mild infections can experience lasting health problems.

Researchers have said it cannot be assumed that people who are at lower risk of severe illness and death from Covid-19 are also at low risk of long Covid.

They said more work is needed to help those who are suffering, adding that many are “not believed” when they seek help.

According to the NHS there are 14 common symptoms of long Covid. 

It says: "The chances of having long-term symptoms does not seem to be linked to how ill you are when you first get coronavirus.

"People who had mild symptoms at first can still have long-term problems."

They include:

  1. extreme tiredness (fatigue)
  2. shortness of breath
  3. chest pain or tightness
  4. problems with memory and concentration ("brain fog")
  5. difficulty sleeping (insomnia)
  6. heart palpitations
  7. dizziness
  8. pins and needles
  9. joint pain
  10. depression and anxiety
  11. tinnitus, earaches
  12. feeling sick, diarrhoea, stomach aches, loss of appetite
  13. a high temperature, cough, headaches, sore throat, changes to sense of smell or taste
  14. rashes