While Covid-19 is something that many people recover from within a couple of weeks, or at most, 12 weeks according to the NHS, for some people it just isn’t that simple. For some people they enter into post Covid-19 syndrome, or, ‘Long Covid’.
Long Covid is a new condition which is still being studied but the most common symptoms include extreme tiredness, feeling short of breath, loss of smell, and muscle aches. Other noted symptoms that can occur after a Covid-19 condition include brain fog, insomnia, dizziness, joint pain and mental health problems.
New Long Covid symptom identified
This week, it’s been revealed that scientists at the University of Leeds have discovered a new symptom of the condition.
The research, which was published in The Lancet Medical Journal, detailed a new symptom of the condition following a 33 year old man’s referral to the specialist’s clinic. He reported to the clinic that upon standing, his legs would progressively feel heavy, tingly, itchy and become dusky in colour. He added that his feet would also come out in a type of rash known as a ‘petechial rash’ on occasion.
He added that if he lay down, his legs would return to their normal colour and other symptoms would subside.
Speaking to The Metro, co-author of the study Dr Manoj Sivan said, “Patients experiencing this may not be aware that it can be a symptom of long Covid and dysautonomia, and may feel concerned about what they are seeing. Similarly, clinicians may not be aware of the link between acrocyanosis and long Covid.
“We need to ensure that there is more awareness of dysautonomia [malfunctioning of the nervous system] in long COVID so that clinicians have the tools they need to manage patients appropriately.”
If you have Long Covid, there is help available
If you have experienced these symptoms, or any of the other symptoms outlined around Covid-19 for four or more weeks, it’s vital that you speak to your doctor about the support available to you. While the condition is still being researched, there is still a lot of support available and the NHS even has a Long Covid service that you can be referred to.