COVID-19 Archive

While shortness of breath can be caused by several ailments, the most common are a lung issue, a heart problem, anemia (low red blood cell count), or deconditioning. Even if the cause remains unclear, a doctor can create a treatment plan to improve symptoms.

Many COVID-19 symptoms—such as fever, cough, or muscle aches—overlap with the symptoms of other respiratory conditions, such as influenza, a common cold, or asthma. But there are differences among the conditions. For example, a bout of the flu or a cold will not cause shortness of breath the way COVID-19 will. And while asthma can cause shortness of breath, it won’t cause a fever or body aches the way COVID-19 will. A person who’s experiencing concerning symptoms of respiratory illness should report them to a doctor.

Some people who have been infected with the virus that causes COVID-19  have experienced lingering effects like low energy and brain fog. Could gastrointestinal problems be another aftereffect of the virus?

COVID-19 can damage the brain in many ways. Initially, it can cause brain inflammation that causes confusion, difficulty concentrating, and memory problems. COVID also can cause new psychological disorders such as depression or anxiety. It can even cause people to see and hear things that aren't there and to believe things that aren't true. COVID often damages the brain's autonomic nervous system, leading to abnormalities in heart rate and blood pressure. Additionally, the virus that causes COVID can infect and injure the lining of blood vessels and make blood clot more easily, which can lead to strokes and heart attacks.

Getting at least one dose of a COVID vaccine lowers the risk of developing long COVID even among people who were previously unvaccinated and recovered from COVID.

Genes that helped people survive during the time of the Black Death are more likely to be found in people with autoimmune diseases alive today. Does this tell scientists anything about what surviving the COVID-19 pandemic might mean for the world's population?

Another holiday season is here, and this year we need to contend with other viruses besides COVID-19. Three Harvard experts share their thoughts on the best ways to keep ourselves and our family members healthy as we celebrate holidays together.

A 2022 study found that high blood pressure more than doubled the risk of being hospitalized from an Omicron-variant COVID-19 infection regardless of full vaccination, including a booster dose of an mRNA vaccine.

Infections and deaths from COVID-19 are still occurring every day in the US, although many people are acting like the pandemic is over. So is it over, or not?

Life expectancy is one measure of the general health of a population. In the US, life expectancy had been climbing for more than a century — until the pandemic. After dropping in 2020, it dropped again in 2021, and some population groups fared worse than others.