Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, doctors and researchers expected there to be long-term implications in those hospitalized with severe cases of COVID-19. Surprisingly, they are finding that many patients with mild to moderate cases are also experiencing long-term symptoms. John Hopkins University aims to uncover answers as to why some people suffer long-term effects from COVID-19.*

What is long COVID?

Long COVID, also known as post-viral syndrome, is a range of symptoms that can last weeks or months after first being infected with the virus. Symptoms can pop up unpredictably and affect a person’s quality of life significantly. Symptoms may include:

• Shortness of breath
• Body aches and pain
• Extreme fatigue
• Brain fog and cognitive problems
• Altered sense of taste or smell

One survey found that nearly half of long haulers had to reduce their work hours due to the profound impact on their day-to-day life.

What is John Hopkins University striving to learn?

From previous studies, researchers have learned that many long-haulers had mild to moderate COVID-19 cases and were not hospitalized. While learning this, John Hopkins University researchers discovered there is a lack of information on lived experiences of long-haulers. 

“We’re going to learn much more about the set of symptoms that comes with long COVID,” says John Hopkins University associate professor, Bryan Lau. “There may be a wide variety of symptoms and not everyone will present the same way. There may also be several different underlying pathways involved in the development and persistence of the symptoms.” 

In particular, they hope to get a better picture of those with long COVID and to address: 

• why people have different responses to the virus,
• how many people have symptoms that clear, 
• how many people have longer-term symptoms,
• and how many have no symptoms at all.

Why is another study on long-COVID symptoms needed?

Some small studies have been conducted but have not provided a lot of evidence and understanding of long COVID symptoms. With approximately 6,500 participants so far and a goal of 25,000 participants, the John Hopkins University study will be one of the largest studies on long COVID symptoms to date, which will give a more representative sample to help answer more questions. 

How do I participate in the survey?

If you tested positive for COVID-19 or experienced COVID-19 symptoms, John Hopkins University would like you to participate in their 10-15-minute survey. Visit the John Hopkins COVID Long Study website for more information. 

*Yu, C. (2021, March 22). Study probes the “long-haul” effects of COVID-19. The Hub. https://hub.jhu.edu/2021/03/22/long-covid-long-haulers/

Much about the novel coronavirus COVID-19 is still not fully understood. As research progresses and our knowledge of the virus increases, information about it can change rapidly. We strive to update all of our articles as quickly as possible, but some “lag” may occur between scientific developments and our revisions.