Think you have long COVID? Here's what Louisville experts are saying

Thanks to the highly contagious BA.5 subvariant of COVID-19, many Kentuckians have tested positive for the virus recently.

If positive test results or symptoms persist, some may wonder if they have developed long COVID-19, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines as side effects that continue past three months or longer.

Kentucky is among the states with the highest rates of long COVID, according to the CDC, along with Alabama, Tennessee and others.

Here's what Louisville experts are saying about long COVID:

Testing positive for a long time doesn't necessarily indicate long COVID

Almost 1 in 5 people in the state who tested last week were positive for the virus. The positivity rate held at 20% as of Monday, after not much fluctuation the last three weeks. That figure does not include at-home tests, meaning it is likely to be higher.

Some could continue to test positive for weeks and even months, said Dr. Mark Burns, an infectious disease expert with U of L Health. An extended positive test result doesn't necessarily indicate long COVID or even if a person is contagious and infectious, though.

People who are immunocompromised may have it longer than people with healthier immune systems, he added.

Unfortunately, there is no test for long COVID, Burns said, and it's thus difficult to say for sure when "regular COVID ends and where long COVID may begin."

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Dr. Joe Flynn, the chief administrative officer of Norton Medical Group, said if a person is 10 days out from symptom onset and feels fine, they don't need to keep testing.

"If your symptoms have abated, you're not having fevers ... there's not a need to continue to test until you're negative because you may be positive for some time," he said.

People who test positive, get treated, test negative and then have a rebound positive test are a different story, he said. Those patients should call their doctor and talk through the symptoms and illness timeline.

Who is at higher risk of getting long COVID?

The CDC reports people who were sicker with COVID-19 are more likely to experience lingering symptoms. Other risk factors include being unvaccinated against COVID-19 and having underlying health conditions before being infected.

"We've seen this: Study after study showing that people who are vaccinated (are) far less apt to have long-term issues and certainly, more importantly, severe issues," Flynn said. While the vaccines do not prevent COVID-19, they decrease a person's chances of dying from the virus or suffering severely from it and, therefore, their chances of dealing with it more long term.

The CDC also says:

• Older adults are less likely to have long COVID than younger adults, with people between the ages of 50 and 59 having it more often than those 80 and older.

• Women, at 9%, are more likely than men, at 5.5%, to have long COVID.

• Hispanic adults have long COVID at higher rates than white, Black and Asian adults.

• Bisexual and transgender adults have a higher likelihood of getting long COVID.

Symptoms to watch for

As a physician, Burns said he'd be concerned if symptoms persisted a month.

"About 13 or 14% of people may have symptoms after about a month," he said. "The number gets smaller the further out you go."

Keep an eye on the symptoms listed below, Burns said. The one people complain about most is brain fog, he added.

• Fatigue

• Shortness of breath

• Brain fog (the inability to think clearly enough)

• Diarrhea

• Abdominal pain

• Prolonged loss or change in taste and smell

• Changes to menstrual cycle

• Worsening of depression or anxiety

Call your doctor over long COVID concerns

Every patient is different and other conditions can complicate diagnoses, Flynn said. Because of that, there may not be a universal point at which patients should call their doctor over long COVID concerns.

"If you're concerned, that's the right time to do it," he said.

Some symptoms may appear to be COVID-related but may be caused by another affliction, Flynn said, and a person's physician can help sort through them.

What can my doctor do for long COVID?

Doctors will want to keep track of long COVID symptoms, and rule out any other potential causes for them. After a long COVID diagnosis, Burns said, doctors can help patients manage their symptoms with supportive care.

You can request an appointment with Norton's long COVID clinics at nortonhealthcare.com/services-and-conditions/infectious-disease/services/coronavirus-covid-19/long-term-clinic.

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Reach health reporter Sarah Ladd at sladd@courier-journal.com. Follow her on Twitter at @ladd_sarah.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: What Louisville experts are saying about long COVID