How long are you ill with COVID?

The first symptoms may include fever, cough, sore throat, blocked nose, headache or body aches. These often improve at different speeds. Your breathing may settle while tiredness remains, or your sense of smell and taste may change after other symptoms have gone. Recovery is not always a straight line, and a difficult day after a better day can happen.

Symptoms that continue, return repeatedly, or affect daily life deserve a clinical review. Long COVID is one possible explanation, but a clinician can also check for other causes and decide whether testing or treatment is needed.

Prioritise sleep, fluids and regular nourishing meals. Break tasks into smaller parts and increase activity in small steps rather than attempting to catch up all at once. A written symptom diary can reveal whether exertion, poor sleep or another factor is followed by a setback.

Avoid strenuous exercise while you have fever, significant breathlessness or marked weakness. Follow local advice about staying away from others while acutely ill. Persistent Fatigue, Joint Pain or Low Mood can be discussed during follow-up.

Call for urgent medical help if you have severe trouble breathing, chest pressure, new confusion, cannot stay awake, or notice blue or grey lips or skin. Seek prompt advice for dehydration, persistent fever, worsening breathing, or a clear decline after you had begun to improve.

Book a review if symptoms do not gradually ease, prevent ordinary activities, or continue beyond the acute illness. Mention sleep, concentration, mood, smell and taste changes as well as physical symptoms.

Ask when to resume exercise and work, whether your symptoms fit the expected recovery pattern, which medicines are suitable for you, and what follow-up is needed if tiredness or breathlessness remains. Take a list of symptoms and their timing.