How long does COVID last?

Mild or moderate COVID-19 generally affects people for up to two weeks. In some others, there are long-term effects which cause lingering health problems. This has become widely known as Long Covid or Post-Covid syndrome.

Whilst mild or moderate COVID-19 sees people experiencing symptoms like high fever, coughs, fatigue and cold-like symptoms for two weeks, others see these symptoms lingering for longer - even after they stop testing positive.

The World Health Organization definition of post-COVID-19 condition (the WHO’s term for long COVID) is coronavirus symptoms that persist or return three months after a person becomes ill. Symptoms can come and go, but a person’s everyday functioning is adversely impacted and cannot be explained by another health problem.

What causes post-COVID syndrome?

There is no known actual link between people contracting COVID-19 and developing Long-COVID due to COVID-19. This is likely due to it being a relatively new virus, with limited time for research into this. Equally, there is no link to people with higher risk factors (such as high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity etc) developing Long-COVID.

Long-Covid has similar symptoms to other post-viral fatigue conditions - like ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia. The cause of these conditions is unknown, and they have a spectrum of symptoms which makes them challenging to diagnose. Many patients with these conditions attributed the onset of the illness due to a viral trigger such as Glandular Fever.

With Long-COVID being so widely known, it is easier for doctors to diagnose, but there is still a question mark over the cause of Long-COVID.

Long-COVID and The Perrin Technique

Dr Perrin developed The Perrin Technique to diagnose and treat ME/CFS and fibromyalgia. Due to the similarities of these conditions and Long-Covid, The Perrin Technique has been used and seen real success in diagnosing and treating patients.

The Perrin Technique theory is over time different body parts, systems and functions stop working properly. This ‘perfect storm’ sees a breakdown in the automatic nervous system and the lymphatic system stops working, leading to increased toxicity in the body.

This build-up of toxicity interferes neurologically with the brains everyday functions and causes a range of physical symptoms, the primary symptoms being fatigue, brain fog and low energy.

This is why people have sought The Perrin Technique to help with their Long-COVID symptoms and it is having profound effects on them returning to everyday life.

At The Village Osteopaths, we have found that combining The Perrin Technique with osteopathic treatment to breathing mechanics and function has been key in helping many of these patients

Dr Perrin’s model explains the similarities between ME/CFS & Long COVID by exploring what triggers them.

No patient is the same. Whilst patients may share similarities in health histories and symptoms, their genetics, upbringing and life experience sets them apart.

Dr Perrin’s theoretical model is outlined and explained below to try and explain why these conditions develop. This model is a general guide to give patients an understanding of the triggers which can lead to conditions like ME/CFS, FMS, Long-COVID developing.

For more detailed information please see Dr Perrin’s published works.