Long COVID is a range of symptoms that can last weeks or months after first being infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 or can appear weeks after infection. Long COVID can happen to anyone who has had COVID-19, even if their illness was mild, or if they had no symptoms.
For COVID-19, a close contact is anyone who was less than 6 feet away from you for a combined total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period. An infected person can transmit SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, starting 48 hours (2 days) before they have symptoms or before they were tested.
Persons with mild symptoms should isolate for a full 5 days after symptom onset (i.e., days 0 through 5) and until symptoms have improved.
If you continue to have fever or your other symptoms have not improved after 5 days of isolation, you should wait to end your isolation until you are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication and your other symptoms have improved.
During the 10 days after infection, persons might be infectious to others and are recommended to wear a well-fitting mask when around others, and to avoid contact with those at elevated risk for severe disease, even if ending isolation after 5 days.
If you test positive, you should isolate for at least 5 days from the date of your positive test (if you do not have symptoms). If you do develop COVID-19 symptoms, isolate for at least 5 days from the date your symptoms began (the date the symptoms started is day 0).
"Some symptoms of COVID-19 linger longer than others," says Dr. Septimus. "In particular, fatigue and loss of taste and smell can persist beyond the period of contagion."
While uncomfortable and/or inconvenient, Dr. Septimus adds that these lingering symptoms aren't too worrisome for most people.
Benefits of Vaccination Outweigh the Risks Serious side effects that could cause a long-term health problem are extremely unusual following any vaccination, including COVID-19 vaccination.