Short COVID vs Long COVID

Acute COVID / Short COVID

Those infected with SARS-CoV-2 virus commonly develop symptoms 4–5 days after exposure. Recovery from mild SARS-CoV-2 infection commonly occurs within 7–10 days after the onset of symptoms in mild disease; it could take 3–6 weeks in severe/critical illness.

Long COVID

Also known as Post-COVID Conditions, Long-haul COVID, and Post-acute COVID-19, Long-term effects of COVID, and Chronic COVID.

Long COVID is essentially an umbrella term which has been adopted across the world as a reference to the symptoms and clinical signs that remain unresolved after 12 weeks or longer post-COVID.

As of 2023, about 65 million people worldwide suffer/suffered from Long COVID.

There are more than 200 symptoms associated with Long COVID, including severe nerve pain, pseudo seizures, debilitating fatigue, brain fog, depression, and memory loss.

Long COVID is increasingly looking like a neurologic disease, and therefore, when attempting to heal it, you must heal the central nervous system first. This is why our Neurologic Rehabilitation program is proving successful for many patients who suffer from stubborn Long COVID.

Dum Spero Spiro

Symptoms Related to Long COVID

  • Tiredness or Fatigue that can interfere with everyday life
  • Decreased immune system
  • Fever
  • Symptoms that get worse after physical or mental efforts (post-external malaise)
  • Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
  • Coughing
  • Chest Pain
  • Fast-beating or pounding heart
  • Brain Fog or Difficulty thinking
  • Headaches
  • Sleep problems
  • Lightheadedness
  • Pins-and-needles feeling
  • Change in taste and/or smell
  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Diarrhea
  • Stomach Pain
  • Joint or Muscle Pain
  • Changes in menstrual cycle
  • Symptoms that are hard to explain and manage
  • Swings in body temp and or excessive sweating
  • Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)
  • Dysautonomia (symptoms expected to be lifelong)
  • Type 2 Diabetes
  • Cerebrovascular Disease
  • Amplified Pain Syndrome (AMPS)
  • Pseudo seizures
  • Heart, lung, kidney, skin, and brain
  • Autoimmune conditions
  • Heart conditions
  • Blood clots
  • Functional Neurologic Disorder (FND)
  • Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS)
  • Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)
  • Generalized Joint Hypermobility (GJH)
  • Myalgic encephalomyelitis/Chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS)
  • Microclots detected in both acute COVID-19 and long COVID contribute to thrombosis and are an attractive diagnostic and therapeutic target.
  • Long-term changes to the size and stiffness of blood cells have also been found in long COVID, with the potential to affect oxygen delivery.
  • A long-lasting reduction in vascular density, specifically affecting small capillaries, was found in patients with long COVID compared with controls, 18 months after infection.

Neurological and cognitive symptoms are a major feature of Long COVID with sensorimotor symptoms:

  • Memory loss
  • Cognitive impairment
  • Paresthesia (Pins and needles feeling)
  • Dizziness
  • Balance issues
  • Sensitivity to light and noise
  • Loss of (or phantom) smell or taste
  • Autonomic dysfunction
  • Tinnitus
  • Hearing loss
  • Vertigo
  • Severe chronic Pain

4-25% of children who had COVID-19 will experience Long COVID.

Sadly, the majority of federal funding for research is not spent on pediatric COVID. Long COVID can cause Pediatric Acute-Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANs).

We don't yet know which children will develop Long COVID.

Early Data indicates that those who fall into the following groups appear to have increased risk factors:

  • Female
  • Atopy - eczema, asthma, hay fever.
  • Allergy to animals / cats
  • Previous Post Viral Fatigue
  • Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS)
  • Fibromyalgia (EDS)
  • Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
  • Skin rashes
  • Diarrhea
  • Abdominal pain
  • Vomiting
  • Seizures (as well ass pseudo- seizures)
  • Amplified Musculoskeletal Pain Syndrome (AMPS)
  • Allergies
  • Gastroparesis
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How Does Our System Work for Long COVID?

With the appropriate support, it is our experience that the body is capable of healing Long COVID.

Long COVID increasingly appears to be connected to neurologic damage, and its most disabling symptoms are neurological (for example, cognitive dysfunction, pain, and autonomic nerve dysfunction.)

Our program has long focused on the neurologic damage done by viral infections. While the SARS-CoV-2 virus is new, the way it affects the nervous system is not. It appears to follow the same path of destruction as other viruses, affecting the central nervous system. This is what our program targets in a holistic whole-body approach.

14-week Outpatient Program

Our outpatient program is a fourteen-week, intense program combining many different technologies, therapies and rehabilitation all designed to assist the central nervous system in healing from within.
We utilize many approaches, which include:

  • Blood work analysis and targeted supplementation
  • Vagus nerve stimulation
  • Various methods and technologies that decrease inflammation and stimulate healing
  • Nervous system rehabilitation

Disclaimer: The information written on this website is designed to provide helpful information on various conditions and the subjects discussed. This website is not meant to be used to diagnose or treat any medical condition or to replace the advice of your physician(s). The author of this website does not claim to treat, diagnose or cure Long COVID, CRPS, EDS/POTS, AMPS, or any other specific condition or infection. The Spero Clinic treats the central nervous system only, often resulting in the body being able to heal itself.
You should regularly consult a physician in matters relating to your health, particularly with respect to any symptoms that may require diagnosis or medical attention. For diagnosis or treatment of any medical problem, consult your own physician(s).

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Start your patient journey with the Spero Clinic's neurologic rehabilitation program.

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CRPS treatment clinic patient Bria with dr.katinka