Long COVID
Persistent symptoms — fatigue, brain fog, orthostatic intolerance, exercise intolerance — that continue more than 12 weeks after an initial COVID-19 infection. A meaningful proportion of Long COVID patients meet criteria for POTS.
Reviewed 2026-05-15
The orthostatic-intolerance angle
Several studies since 2021 have found that a meaningful proportion of Long COVID patients meet the formal criteria for POTS on a standing test. Whether SARS-CoV-2 directly damages autonomic nerves, deconditions the cardiovascular system, or unmasks latent dysautonomia is still being worked out. What matters clinically is that the orthostatic component is testable — with the same NASA Lean Test used for traditional POTS.
Why it appears on a POTS site
If your POTS-like symptoms began within weeks of a confirmed or suspected COVID-19 infection, your specialist will likely consider post-COVID dysautonomia in the differential. Tracking orthostatic numbers — even informally with a smartwatch — is one of the more useful things you can do before that appointment. See also orthostatic intolerance and dysautonomia.