MORE than three-and-a-half million people have contracted Covid-19 during the course of the pandemic.

While over 100,000 people have died in the past year after contracting the virus, many people have survived but some has contracted 'Long Covid'.

Many people feel better within a few days or weeks and most will make a full recovery in 12 wekks, but for some people symptoms can last longer.

Long Covid, also known as post-Covid-19 syndrome, has been formally recognised by medical figures.

Here is what we know.

What is Long Covid?

It is used to describe the effects of coronavirus that continue for weeks or even months after the initial illness.

The NHS states that the chances of having long-term symptoms do not seem to be linked to how ill you are when you first get coronavirus.

People who have mild-symptoms at first can still suffer with long-term problems.

What are the symptoms of Long Covid?

According to the NHS there are a lot of symptoms you can have after a coronavirus infection.

Common long COVID symptoms include:

  • extreme tiredness (fatigue)
  • shortness of breath
  • chest pain or tightness
  • problems with memory and concentration ("brain fog")
  • difficulty sleeping (insomnia)
  • heart palpitations
  • dizziness
  • pins and needles
  • joint pain
  • depression and anxiety
  • tinnitus, earaches
  • feeling sick, diarrhoea, stomach aches, loss of appetite
  • a high temperature, cough, headaches, sore throat, changes to sense of smell or taste
  • rashes

Is there any treatment for Long Covid?

People suffering symptoms can be offered specialist help at NHS clinics across England.

The assessment centres are taking referrals from GPs for people experiencing brain fog, anxiety, depression, breathlessness, fatigue and other debilitating symptoms.

NHS England has provided £10 million for the network of clinics, which started opening last month. There are now 69 operating across the country with hundreds of patients already getting help.

New research has shown one in five people with coronavirus develop longer term symptoms. Around 186,000 people suffer problems for up to 12 weeks, the Office for National Statistics found.