Post-COVID Condition (Long COVID)

← COVID-19 Resources

Post-COVID Condition, also known as Long COVID, Long-haul COVID and Long-term COVID, refers to the effects of COVID-19 that continue for months after the initial illness. WHO definition of post COVID-19 condition

Clinical Resources

• Diagnosing and Treating Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) in Long COVID patients – OCFP, March 16, 2023
• Long COVID FAQs for family physicians – OCFP, February 14, 2023 
• Long COVID in Adults (a summary of guidance for diagnosing, assessing and treating symptoms of long COVID) – OCFP, February 14, 2023 
• Completing Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) Applications: Checklists and Tips for Family Physicians – OCFP, February 14, 2023
• Income Support Applications for Long COVID Patients: Tips for Family Physicians – OCFP, February 14, 2023
• Diagnosing post-COVID-19 condition (long COVID) in adults – Kieran L. Quinn, Fahad Razak and Angela M. Cheung, CMAJ, Jan. 2023
• Assessing common and potentially modifiable symptoms of post-COVID-19 condition (long COVID) in adults – Kieran L. Quinn, Fahad Razak and Angela M. Cheung, CMAJ, Jan. 2023
• Treating common and potentially modifiable symptoms of post-COVID-19 condition (long COVID) in adults – Kieran L. Quinn, Fahad Razak and Angela M. Cheung, CMAJ, Jan. 2023
• Post COVID-19 Condition: Guidance for Primary Care – Ontario Health, Dec. 2022
• Management of post-acute covid-19 in primary care – Trisha Greenhalgh et al, BMJ, Sept. 22, 2022
• eConsult – Guide to access to COVID-19 and post-COVID condition advice through eConsult
• Clinical Management of COVID-19 - Living Guideline (see Section 24: Care of COVID-19 patients after acute illness) – WHO, Sept. 2022 
• COVID-19 rapid guideline: managing the long-term effects of COVID-19 – NICE, RCGP, and SIGN, Jan. 2022
• Post COVID-19 Condition: Children and Young Persons – WHO webinar, Aug. 17, 2022 (access recording)
• COVID-19 Community of Practice – long COVID sessions: access recordings Feb. 19, 2021 with Dr. Trisha Greenhalgh |  Feb. 18, 2022 with Dr. Ashley Verduyn | Sept. 16, 2022 with Dr. Jennifer Hulme, Dr. Angela Leung and physiotherapist Mr. Adam Brown

Outpatient Rehabilitation Programs

The Rehabilitative Care Alliance maintains a list of rehabilitation programs to help individuals with ongoing symptoms of COVID-19.

Note that some programs are available only to patients of an associated hospital's programs (internal only). Get information on how to apply and eligibility criteria through the individual programs.

Evidence

• Long COVID: major findings, mechanisms and recommendations – Nature Reviews Microbiology, Jan. 2023
• Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome (PACS) in Adults: Rapid Review – PHO, April 2022
• Characterizing Long COVID in an International Cohort: 7 Months of Symptoms and Their Impact (Symptoms and timeline) – Davis et al 
• Developing services for long COVID: lessons from a study of wounded healers – RCP Clinical Medicine Journal
• Persistent Symptoms in Patients After Acute COVID-19 – JAMA Research Letter, July 2020
• COVID-19 is, in the end, an endothelial disease – European Heart Journal, Sept. 2020
• Care Dependency in Non-Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19 – Journal of Clinical Medicine, Sept. 2020
• CanCOVID research network 

Patient Resources 

• Long-COVID – Information for Patients – OCFP, March 2023
• Post-COVID-19 Condition – WHO "Science in 5" video
• Support for Rehabilitation: Self-management after COVID-19-related Illness – WHO
• Living with Persistent Post-COVID-19 Symptoms (multi-lingual factsheets by symptom) – Provincial Health Services Authority, B.C.
• Long COVID Resources for Patients and Families ​– University Health Network
• Post-COVID Rehabilitation Self-Management – The Ottawa Hospital 
• COVID Long-haulers Canada