With over two million Australians having tested positive for COVID-19 in the past two years, many people are looking for information about recovering from the virus.
Healthdirect Australia has an online hub with advice and information about what people can expect, and what they can do once their initial symptoms start to subside.
‘Everyone who has had COVID-19 will experience their recovery differently in terms of what to expect depending on the severity and duration of their symptoms,’ said Dr Nirvana Luckraj, Healthdirect Australia’s Chief Medical Officer.
‘Some people may recover in days, some in weeks. But for others, it could be months.’
What to look out for
Common symptoms experienced during recovery include:
- fatigue
- cough
- breathlessness
- joint or muscle pain
- chest pain
- change in sense of taste or smell
- anxiety and/or low mood
Exercise
‘We know people are asking when they can get back to exercise after they have had COVID. Exercise is an important part of recovery,’ said Dr Luckraj.
If symptoms were mild, people can start exercising again if they’ve had a sufficient period of rest following infection.
It’s advised that people can exert themselves more if:
- they have had 10 days of rest since symptoms started
- they have had at least seven days with no symptoms, and
- they are no longer taking any medications such as paracetamol
‘People should start with light activity, and see how they feel. Continue to slowly increase the duration and intensity of exercise, paying careful attention to heart rate and breathing rate,’ said Dr Luckraj.
‘If you’re recovering from moderate or severe illness, speak with your healthcare provider before returning to exercise. Some people can continue to experience symptoms for three to nine months from the start of their COVID-19 symptoms,’ she said.
Long COVID
‘Even people who had a mild COVID-19 infection and weren’t hospitalised can have “long COVID”,’ said Dr Luckraj.
Symptoms may appear after a person’s initial recovery from COVID-19 or persist from the initial illness. Symptoms may also change from time to time, or go away and reappear.
For concerns about ongoing symptoms use the COVID-19 Symptom Checker, an online tool that assesses COVID-19 symptoms and provides information and advice about the type of care needed, based on the severity of symptoms.
