Dear Dr. Roach: Is there anything a person can do to make it less likely that a COVID infection leads to long COVID symptoms? Does activity help or harm a person in this case?

— L.B.

Dear L.B.: Before getting COVID in the first place, being vaccinated helps prevent a COVID infection, and even if you get infected, it probably reduces the likelihood that a person will suffer long-term symptoms, often called "long COVID." Once a person is infected, early treatment with Paxlovid improves symptoms, but a randomized trial did not show a significant benefit in it reducing the risk of long COVID symptoms.

Activity has not been shown to help or worsen the likelihood of developing long COVID. In general, I recommend exercising as tolerated after a serious infection like influenza or COVID, neit

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