{"id":19818,"date":"2024-06-10T11:58:23","date_gmt":"2024-06-10T10:58:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/apps.nhslothian.scot\/refhelp\/?page_id=19818"},"modified":"2025-12-17T12:52:50","modified_gmt":"2025-12-17T12:52:50","slug":"post-covid-syndrome","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/apps.nhslothian.scot\/refhelp\/guidelines\/post-covid-syndrome\/","title":{"rendered":"Post COVID Syndrome (long COVID)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>What is Post-COVID syndrome\/long COVID?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The long-term effects of COVID-19 may be referred to as long COVID or post-COVID syndrome. These are interchangeable terms. Long COVID can affect people of all ages, and the most common symptoms include extreme tiredness (fatigue), shortness of breath, muscle aches, difficulty concentrating, cognitive dysfunction and joint pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Clinical definitions <\/strong>(NICE\/SIGN\/RCP 2021):<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>ongoing symptomatic COVID-19: signs and symptoms of COVID-19 from four to 12 weeks<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>post COVID-19 syndrome: signs and symptoms that develop during or after COVID-19 and continue for more than 12 weeks and are not explained by an alternative diagnosis.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>For Information on how to manage and support your patients with symptoms of Long Covid<\/strong> see GP Leaflet created by LongCovidSOS.&nbsp; This has been approved by RCGP.&nbsp; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.longcovidsos.org\/_files\/ugd\/8bd4fe_829f79b885884ce29c4e10924cb41eca.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">8bd4fe_829f79b885884ce29c4e10924cb41eca.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Lothian services<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Core rehabilitation services<\/strong><ul><li>Myalgic encephalomyelitis\/Chronic fatigue syndrome (ME\/CFS) service <a href=\"https:\/\/apps.nhslothian.scot\/refhelp\/guidelines\/rehabilitation\/chronicfatiguesyndromeme\/me-cfs-chronic-fatigue-rehabilitation-service\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Chronic Fatigue Rehabilitation Service: ME-CFS \u2013 RefHelp<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Speech and language therapy <a href=\"https:\/\/apps.nhslothian.scot\/refhelp\/guidelines\/speech-language-therapy-adults\/slt-post-long-covid-symptoms\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SLT post\/long COVID symptoms \u2013 RefHelp<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Lothian Work Support Service <a href=\"https:\/\/apps.nhslothian.scot\/refhelp\/guidelines\/rehabilitation\/lothian-work-support-services-lwss\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Lothian Work Support Services (LWSS) \u2013 RefHelp<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Rehabilitation Medicine <a href=\"https:\/\/apps.nhslothian.scot\/refhelp\/chronic-symptoms-after-infection-clinic\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Chronic Symptoms after Infection clinic \u2013 RefHelp<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/conditions\/chronic-fatigue-syndrome-cfs\/\"><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Post COVID breathlessness pathway including <\/strong>&nbsp;when pulmonary embolism is suspected; <a href=\"https:\/\/apps.nhslothian.scot\/files\/sites\/2\/Respiratory-Post-Covid-Syndrome-v10.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Respiratory-Post-Covid-Syndrome-v10.pdf<\/a> &nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Not all Post-Covid breathlessness is respiratory in nature:&nbsp;<ul><li>See <a href=\"https:\/\/apps.nhslothian.scot\/refhelp\/guidelines\/cardiology\/cardiac-investigations-for-breathless-patients\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Cardiac Investigations for Breathless Patients \u2013 RefHelp<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Consider dysautonomnia or POTS.&nbsp; See RefHelp page on PoTS here: <a href=\"https:\/\/apps.nhslothian.scot\/refhelp\/guidelines\/cardiology\/postural-tachycardia-syndrome-pots\/\">Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (PoTS) \u2013 RefHelp<\/a> and &nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.potsuk.org\/\">Home &#8211; PoTS UK<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Chronic spontaneous urticaria (and mast cell activation syndrome) <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/apps.nhslothian.scot\/refhelp\/guidelines\/immunology\/chronic-spontaneous-urticaria\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Chronic spontaneous urticaria \u2013 RefHelp<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Patients with ongoing fevers &gt;38<sup>o<\/sup>C or symptoms of infection of more than 3 weeks duration, documented in a temperature diary, where no other explanation for the fever is apparent, especially if the patient is immunocompromised, should be referred to<a href=\"https:\/\/apps.nhslothian.scot\/refhelp\/guidelines\/infectiousdiseases\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>&nbsp;Infectious Diseases<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Patients with symptoms more suggestive of a possible cancer diagnosis (such as lymphadenopathy or unexplained weight loss) should be urgently referred via the appropriate USOC Sci Gateway pathway see:  &nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.cancerreferral.scot.nhs.uk\/Home\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">http:\/\/www.cancerreferral.scot.nhs.uk\/Home<\/a><strong>.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>GPs can refer directly for CT scan of the chest \/ abdomen \/ pelvis for those with non-specific features concerning for malignancy&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/apps.nhslothian.scot\/refhelp\/guidelines\/paediatric-radiology\/gpaccesstoctforsuspectedcancernoclinicallyobviousprimary\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">GP Access to CT for Suspected Cancer (No Clinically Obvious Primary) \u2013 RefHelp<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Please note &#8211; <strong>Digital support pathway for long COVID is no longer available<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>D.R.M &amp; C.C. 23-05-25<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-getwid-tabs\" data-active-tab=\"0\"><ul class=\"wp-block-getwid-tabs__nav-links\"><\/ul>\n<div class=\"wp-block-getwid-tabs__nav-link\"><span class=\"wp-block-getwid-tabs__title-wrapper\"><a href=\"#\"><span class=\"wp-block-getwid-tabs__title\">Referral Guidelines<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-tabs__tab-content-wrapper\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-tabs__tab-content\">\n<p><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-getwid-tabs__nav-link\"><span class=\"wp-block-getwid-tabs__title-wrapper\"><a href=\"#\"><span class=\"wp-block-getwid-tabs__title\">Primary Care Management<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-tabs__tab-content-wrapper\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-tabs__tab-content\">\n<p><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-getwid-tabs__nav-link\"><span class=\"wp-block-getwid-tabs__title-wrapper\"><a href=\"#\"><span class=\"wp-block-getwid-tabs__title\">Resources and Links<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-tabs__tab-content-wrapper\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-tabs__tab-content\">\n<p>&nbsp;(<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nice.org.uk\/guidance\/ng188\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE)\/Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network\/Royal College of General Practitioners guidance on managing long-term effects of COVID-19<\/a>&nbsp;(updated November 2021))<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.potsuk.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Home &#8211; PoTS UK<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Long Covid SOS GP Leaflet <a href=\"https:\/\/www.longcovidsos.org\/_files\/ugd\/8bd4fe_829f79b885884ce29c4e10924cb41eca.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">8bd4fe_829f79b885884ce29c4e10924cb41eca.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Long Coid SOS Patient Leaflet <a href=\"https:\/\/www.longcovidsos.org\/_files\/ugd\/8bd4fe_f4257eb234104900a9eb082dde954939.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">8bd4fe_f4257eb234104900a9eb082dde954939.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What is Post-COVID syndrome\/long COVID? The long-term effects of COVID-19 may be referred to as long COVID or post-COVID syndrome. These are interchangeable terms. Long COVID can affect people of all ages, and the most common symptoms include extreme tiredness (fatigue), shortness of breath, muscle aches, difficulty concentrating, cognitive dysfunction and joint pain. Clinical definitions<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"parent":3664,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1111],"class_list":["post-19818","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","category-https-apps-nhslothian-scot-refhelp-post-covid-syndrome"],"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"rttpg_featured_image_url":null,"rttpg_author":{"display_name":"heatherlevy","author_link":"https:\/\/apps.nhslothian.scot\/refhelp\/author\/heatherlevy\/"},"rttpg_comment":0,"rttpg_category":" <a href=\"https:\/\/apps.nhslothian.scot\/refhelp\/category\/covid-19\/https-apps-nhslothian-scot-refhelp-post-covid-syndrome\/\" rel=\"tag\">Post COVID Syndrome<\/a>","rttpg_excerpt":"What is Post-COVID syndrome\/long COVID? The long-term effects of COVID-19 may be referred to as long COVID or post-COVID syndrome. These are interchangeable terms. Long COVID can affect people of all ages, and the most common symptoms include extreme tiredness (fatigue), shortness of breath, muscle aches, difficulty concentrating, cognitive dysfunction and joint pain. Clinical definitions","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/apps.nhslothian.scot\/refhelp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/19818","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/apps.nhslothian.scot\/refhelp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/apps.nhslothian.scot\/refhelp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apps.nhslothian.scot\/refhelp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apps.nhslothian.scot\/refhelp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19818"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/apps.nhslothian.scot\/refhelp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/19818\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25992,"href":"https:\/\/apps.nhslothian.scot\/refhelp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/19818\/revisions\/25992"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apps.nhslothian.scot\/refhelp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3664"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/apps.nhslothian.scot\/refhelp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19818"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apps.nhslothian.scot\/refhelp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19818"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}