1 in 5 Adults With Long Covid Struggle With Daily Activities
THURSDAY, Dec. 19, 2024 -- Millions of American adults are struggling with Long COVID, and a fifth have symptoms so debilitating they interfere with daily activities, a new report finds.
"Frequently reported symptoms include fatigue that interferes with daily life, difficulty thinking or concentrating, cough and heart palpitations," explained a team of researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
According to the CDC, Long COVID can include "a wide range of ongoing symptoms," such as fatigue, brain fog, feeling exhausted after exercise, coughing, shortness of breath, sleep troubles, depression/anxiety, joint pain, gastro issues and more.
"Most people with Long COVID symptoms see significant improvement after 3 months, while others may see improvement up to 6 months after symptoms first appear," the CDC noted.
Just how widespread is Long COVID?
In the new study, researchers led by Nicole Ford of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases looked at 2023 federal data surveying American adults.
They found that about 1 in every 16 adults (6.4%) surveyed said that they were currently suffering from Long COVID, which was defined as having persistent symptoms last 3 months or more after a bout of COVID-19.
Of those with Long COVID, 19.8% "reported significant activity limitations due to their symptoms," Ford's group reported.
That meant that everyday home and work activities like walking, exercise, shopping, housework and the like were curtailed "a lot" by ongoing Long COVID symptoms, the authors said.
All of this means many Americans with Long COVID "might require additional supports to aid recovery, such as health care resources and workplace accommodations," the CDC team said.
Of course, the best way to avoid Long COVID is to not get COVID (or a severe case of COVID) in the first place.
"These findings support the ongoing importance of tools to reduce the risk for Long COVID, including vaccination," Ford and colleagues stressed.
The findings were published Dec. 19 in the CDC's journal Morbidity and Mortality Report.
Sources
- Morbidity and Mortality Report, Dec. 19, 2024
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Further Support and Information on COVID-19
Read this next
CVS, Walgreens Limit COVID Vaccines in Some States as Rules Shift
TUESDAY, Sept. 2, 2025 — CVS and Walgreens are changing where and how they offer COVID-19 vaccines this season as they work to comply with state laws and current U.S...
Good Sleep, Eating Right Tied To Better Mental Well-Being Among Young Adults
FRIDAY, Aug. 29, 2025 — Good sleep can be key to a young adult’s mental well-being, according to a new study. Young adults who slept better were more likely to have a...
FDA Approves Updated COVID Vaccines, But Fewer People Will Be Eligible
THURSDAY, Aug. 28, 2025 — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved updated COVID-19 vaccines for the fall season but has restricted who can receive...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.