Long-Haul Covid and How Air Purifiers Can Help

The pandemic has been life-changing for all of us. More than 79 million Americans have had Covid, and 970 thousand Americans have died from it. With so many people enduring this virus – either by spending time in the hospital or suffering through the symptoms quarantined at home, many who have lived through Covid are still dealing with side effects that vary widely. This is commonly referred to as Long-Haul Covid.

Symptoms of Long-Haul Covid

For the most part, a mild or moderate case of Covid will last between one and two weeks. But for some, the symptoms linger long after the acute phase of the illness goes away. People who experience this are referred to in general terms as having ‘long-haul Covid’ or being called ‘long-haulers.’ They would no longer test positive for Covid but still suffer some of the most debilitating symptoms of the disease. You can be considered a long-hauler if you have symptoms four weeks or more after the onset of the virus. It’s estimated that between 10 and 30 percent of people who’ve had Covid will end up with long-term symptoms of the disease and, for some unknown reason, it affects women more than men.

It’s hard to know who will end up a long-hauler. More study is needed to determine who is at risk and why it happens. Those who have a long hospital stay, are elderly or have co-morbidities or pre-existing conditions can be at a higher risk. But there are plenty of relatively healthy, young people who had mild cases of Covid who still end up with long-haul symptoms.

Symptoms of Long-Haul Covid:

• Fatigue
• Shortness of breath
• Cough
• Joint pain
• Chest pain
• Difficulty concentrating (brain fog)
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Muscle pain
• Extended loss of smell or taste
• Headaches
• Rapid heartbeat
• Insomnia
• Fever

How Can an Air Purifier Help Alleviate the Long-Haul Covid Symptoms?

If you’ve recovered from Covid but are still having symptoms, the first thing you should do is contact your doctor. And don’t put it off. The quicker you seek help, the easier a full recovery will be. There’s no one simple test to detect long-haul Covid, doctors have to look at the whole picture of what’s going on to determine if it’s long-haul symptoms or something else. So, be sure and discuss everything you’re experiencing, no matter how small it may seem, with your provider so he/she can do all the tests and assessments needed to figure out what’s going on and come up with a plan specific to your issues.

Since Covid is an issue that can impact your lungs and respiratory system, investing in an air purifier at home can help. Some of them can be expensive, but the benefits they provide are worth the money. Air purifiers are designed to pull all the impurities out of the air and send clean air back out. The fewer impurities in the air, the better it is for your lungs.

An air purifier that works with a true, medical-grade HEPA filter is your best option. HEPA filters will capture up 99.97 percent of the airborne contaminants floating around inside your home. When deciding where to put the purifier – determine what room of your home you spend the most time in and then figure out the square footage of that space. Air purifiers are designed to cover a certain amount of space, so for it to work effectively, you’ll want to make sure it covers the right amount of square footage.

Depending on the severity of your symptoms, you may also want to consider one that’s easy to move or has wheels. That way you can put it in your living room while you’re awake but still be able to move it to your bedroom when you sleep to get around-the-clock benefits.

When it comes to long-haul Covid – there are several ways an air purifier can help:

• If your long-haul Covid symptoms are breathing-related, an air purifier can help clear the air making it easier for you to breathe.
• Cleaner air can also help lessen headaches that so many people suffer from because of long-haul Covid.
• If you suffer from the Covid cough, then getting rid of the airborne contaminants in your house with a purifier can ease your coughing spells.
• If fatigue is your issue, air purifiers have shown to be beneficial in helping you get a better night’s sleep and making you feel more rested in the morning.

Air purifiers have many benefits. And with the emergence of Covid we all now understand better how important it is to know what’s floating in the air around us. When dealing with long-haul Covid symptoms an air purifier can be a valuable tool to help get you back on the path to feeling your best again.