Fatigue is common and often experienced as a debilitating symptom for people with Long COVID.

The feeling of fatigue from Long COVID is more than just 'feeling tired.' It is an overwhelming sense of exhaustion that can make it harder for you to do everything you would like to do. Fatigue can be physical but also mental and social/emotional, and it can prevent you from doing your day-to-day activities.

The exact cause of fatigue in Long COVID is unknown. For some people with Long COVID, the fatigue experienced is similar to what is experienced by people who have Myalgic Encephalitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS). We are trying to understand how Long COVID and ME/CFS may be related.

This type of fatigue from Long COVID doesn’t always get better with rest and it may last for several days. You may find when you try to 'push' through your symptoms to return to your usual activities, your fatigue gets much worse and you 'crash.' This is referred to as post-exertional malaise which is fatigue and symptoms that follow a push/crash cycle. Staying in this cycle can significantly impact your quality of life, as well as prolong your recovery. You can learn more about post-exertional malaise here.