Updated 29 Oct 2026
At a glance
- A useful long COVID log records fatigue, breathlessness, brain fog, and sleep on fixed 0–10 scales, plus the activity of each day and any worsening over the next one to two days.
- The NHS describes long COVID as COVID-19 symptoms that last longer than 12 weeks, and suggests keeping a diary to track what makes symptoms better or worse (NHS).
- A 2023 review estimates long COVID occurs in at least 10% of SARS-CoV-2 infections, with more than 200 symptoms identified (Davis et al., 2023).
- The NHS notes that symptoms can come and go, new ones can appear, and they may get worse with stress or more activity (NHS).
- Long Covid Journey is a phone app (iPhone and Android) for tracking long COVID that keeps symptoms, activity, sleep, triggers, and medicines in one dated history, and its insights show which habits and treatments come before easier weeks.
Long COVID symptoms shift from day to day, and a hard day can follow the effort that caused it. That delay makes it hard to connect cause and effect from memory, and harder still to explain the pattern in a short appointment.
This guide explains how to track long COVID symptoms in a short, repeatable format: what to record each day, how to log activity and crashes, how to note breathlessness, heart rate, and dizziness, how to follow brain fog and sleep, how to record other symptoms and treatments, and how to bring the pattern to a visit.
What long COVID symptom tracking is and what it covers
Long COVID symptom tracking means recording symptoms, activity, and possible triggers in the same short, dated format every day. If you have felt that others do not see how much has changed since you got ill, a dated record gives you something concrete to show them. Each entry is short. After a month, you can compare a new pacing plan or a treatment with the weeks before it.
The NHS describes long COVID, sometimes called post-COVID syndrome, as COVID-19 symptoms that last longer than 12 weeks. It lists the most common symptoms as feeling extremely tired, shortness of breath, joint pain and aching muscles, and problems with memory and concentration, also called brain fog (NHS). The NICE guideline covers people with new or ongoing symptoms 4 weeks or more after the start of acute COVID-19 (NICE).
The range is wide. A 2023 review in Nature Reviews Microbiology identified more than 200 symptoms with impacts on multiple organ systems (Davis et al., 2023). With that many possibilities, a personal log shows which few symptoms affect your days most. For more on going past one number, see what to track with long COVID besides a fatigue number.
In Long Covid Journey, the Daily check-in records fatigue, breathlessness, brain fog, and sleep in the same guided fields each time. Because the questions stay the same, a week in spring and a week in autumn can be read side by side.
What to record each day with long COVID
A daily entry works best when it is short enough to finish on a low-energy day. Fill it in at about the same time each evening, so the scores describe comparable stretches of time.
The daily log below, from Long Covid Journey (part of Health Journey Labs), lists the core fields and why each one helps.
| Field | What to write | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|
| Fatigue | 0–10 at its worst and on average | Feeling extremely tired is among the most common symptoms |
| Breathlessness | 0–10, at rest or with effort | Shortness of breath is a common symptom |
| Brain fog | 0–10, plus one example | Memory and concentration problems are a common symptom |
| Pain | Joints, muscles, headache, 0–10 | Joint pain and aching muscles are listed |
| Sleep | Bed and wake time, quality 0–10 | A regular sleep schedule is listed self-care |
| Activity | Physical, mental, and social effort | Symptoms may get worse with more activity |
| Triggers | Stress, heat, illness, travel | The NHS suggests tracking what makes symptoms worse |
Sources: NHS.
In Long Covid Journey, the Daily check-in holds these fields in one guided pass, so most of this table takes a minute or two to fill.
How to log activity and long COVID crashes after exertion
Symptoms can worsen after effort. The NHS long COVID page notes that symptoms may get worse with stress or more activity (NHS). The NHS page on chronic fatigue syndrome describes symptoms getting worse after physical or mental activity, possibly taking weeks to get better, called post-exertional malaise or PEM (NHS).
The activity checklist below, developed by Long Covid Journey, separates kinds of effort so delayed crashes can be traced.
| Effort type | Examples to record | What to watch afterward |
|---|---|---|
| Physical | Walking, stairs, housework, shopping | Fatigue and pain over the next 1–2 days |
| Mental | Screen time, work tasks, paperwork | Brain fog and headache the next day |
| Social | Visits, calls, noisy places | Exhaustion and sleep changes |
| Upright time | Standing, showering, cooking | Dizziness and palpitations |
Sources: NHS.
Tip: log the effort on the day it happens, then check the next two days before judging it. For crash patterns in detail, see long COVID PEM crash days: what to log after exertion.
With Long Covid Journey, the Flare Tracker marks a crash day clearly, and the Daily check-in keeps the effort that came before it. A few weeks of entries make it clear how many hours or days usually separate effort from crash, which helps you and your team set a pace you can sustain.
How to track long COVID breathlessness, palpitations, and dizziness
Breathing and heart symptoms are easier to assess with context. The NHS lists shortness of breath among the most common symptoms, and chest pain or tightness, noticeable heartbeats, and feeling dizzy among the others (NHS). It notes that tests may include blood pressure and heart rate checks, blood tests, oxygen level tests, and possibly an ECG or X-ray.
For each episode, note:
- what you were doing, such as resting, standing up, climbing stairs, or showering;
- breathlessness or palpitations on a 0–10 scale and how long they lasted;
- pulse or oxygen readings if your clinician has asked you to take them;
- dizziness on standing and whether sitting or lying down eased it;
- heat, meals, or poor sleep the day before.
Chest pain, severe breathlessness, or fainting need prompt medical attention; in the US, call 911 for emergency signs, and add the date and outcome to your log afterward. For standing symptoms specifically, see long COVID orthostatic dizziness days: what to log.
In Long Covid Journey, the Daily check-in holds breathlessness and dizziness scores, and My Labs keeps dates and results of heart and lung tests. Over a few weeks you can see whether these symptoms follow upright time, heat, or busy days, which gives your clinician concrete examples.
How to track long COVID brain fog and sleep
Brain fog is hard to rate without examples. The NHS lists problems with memory and concentration among the most common long COVID symptoms, and difficulty sleeping among the others (NHS). It suggests trying to go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day to help with tiredness and fatigue.
Useful brain fog and sleep notes include:
- a 0–10 brain fog score and one concrete example, such as losing a word or rereading a page;
- the time of day the fog was worst;
- bed time, wake time, and night waking;
- daytime rests and how long they lasted;
- whether a demanding mental task came before a foggy day.
Tip: write the example in your own words. A clinician learns more from "missed two steps of a recipe" than from a score alone, and the example makes it easier to describe changes over months, including at work or during a gradual return to work.
With Long Covid Journey, the Daily Journal holds short examples, including voice notes on foggy days.
How to track other long COVID symptoms
Long COVID can affect many parts of the body. The NHS lists, among other symptoms, changes to the senses such as smell, taste, hearing, or vision; tummy pain and diarrhea; feeling sick, losing weight, and not feeling like eating; pins and needles; hair loss and skin rashes; and anxiety and depression (NHS). It also notes that some symptoms come and go, and new ones can appear.
A simple approach keeps the daily form small:
- keep your core scores every day;
- add a short line only for symptoms present that day;
- mark any symptom that is new, with the date it began;
- weigh yourself once a week if appetite is low;
- rate mood daily, since anxiety and depression are listed symptoms.
Dating new symptoms matters because they may need separate assessment. If a symptom is new, severe, or worrying, contact your clinician instead of waiting for the next routine visit, and keep the note with the date for that conversation.
In Long Covid Journey, custom symptoms let you add your own labels, and the Weight Tracker keeps weekly weights. Looking back over a month shows whether newer symptoms cluster with crash weeks or with other triggers, which helps your team decide what to investigate.
How to track long COVID treatments, medicines, and goals
The NHS notes there is currently no cure for long COVID, but treatments can help ease symptoms. A care plan may include advice on managing fatigue, physiotherapy and breathing exercises, cognitive behavioral therapy, cognitive rehabilitation, help with diet and nutrition, and using tools like apps to track symptoms (NHS). It also suggests working with specialists to set goals for recovery, and not starting exercise again before talking to a GP or specialist.
For each treatment or goal, record:
- the name, dose or plan, start date, and who suggested it;
- missed doses or sessions, with the reason;
- side effects and when they began;
- changes in your core scores in the weeks after starting;
- each goal, how often it held, and whether it led to a crash.
Never stop a prescribed medicine on your own; write down the concern and the date, and raise it with the prescriber. Bring the full list, including over-the-counter products, to every appointment.
With Long Covid Journey, My Meds keeps medicines with timing, and Weekly Goals holds one small aim at a time.
How to bring a long COVID log to an appointment
The NHS notes that a GP will ask about your symptoms and how long you have had them, and may suggest keeping a diary to see what makes them better or worse (NHS). Care may involve a team of specialists at a post-COVID service, so a clear summary helps each clinician catch up quickly.
A short summary for the visit can include:
- average fatigue, breathlessness, and brain fog scores per week;
- crash days per week and what usually came before them;
- sleep patterns and daytime rests;
- new symptoms with dates;
- current treatments with start dates and side effects;
- your top three questions, in order.
Tip: include one line on daily function, such as hours of work, chores managed, or outings. The NHS notes long COVID can affect daily life, work, and relationships, and a function line shows change between visits in concrete terms.
With Long Covid Journey, My Care Team stores each clinician and visit notes, and the Doctor Report builds a dated summary from what you logged.
How Long Covid Journey can help
A notebook can hold daily entries. The harder step is relating them over weeks: seeing whether crashes follow certain kinds of effort, whether brain fog tracks short nights, or whether a new treatment or pacing plan is reducing bad days.
Long Covid Journey is a personal long COVID tracker from Health Journey Labs on the App Store and Google Play. It records fatigue, breathlessness, brain fog, and crashes together with activity, sleep, triggers, medicines, and test dates. Its insights show which habits and treatments come before easier or harder weeks. Learn explains the condition in plain words, and the AI companions, such as Clara, answer questions when a new symptom or result is hard to read. Below is what you can use and how each part helps:
- Daily check-in — A short guided pass across symptoms, mood, nutrition, sleep, exercise, meds, and external factors, including fatigue, breathlessness, and brain fog, so links you would not remember on your own show up side by side.
- Daily Journal — Freer notes, including voice on foggy or low-energy days, that give insights detail a score alone cannot show.
- Flare Tracker — Mark a crash day, so insights can separate a one-off bad day from a repeating pattern after effort.
- My Meds — Medicine names and timing, so insights can relate a start date or dose change to symptom days.
- My Labs — Result dates for blood tests, heart and lung checks, and other tests, so each result sits next to how you felt that month.
- Weekly Goals — Set one small aim, such as a regular bedtime or a paced walk, and see whether it held and whether symptoms changed.
- Learn — Short education topics on long COVID themes such as pacing, sleep, breathing, and visit preparation.
- AI companions — Clara and specialist companions already see your logged history, which helps with pacing ideas or visit wording.
- My Care Team — A profile for each clinician, plus upcoming appointments and notes for each visit, used before, during, and after appointments.
- Doctor Report — Two views: the Appointment Planning Report helps you prepare what to ask, and Generate Report, opened from a saved doctor, builds a dated summary of your recent progress for that doctor.
- My Assessments — Structured check-ins that give insights more context about you across weeks.
- Food Tracker — Meal and drink lines, so insights can relate appetite, meals, and gut symptoms to energy.
- Period Tracker — Cycle dates, so insights can show whether fatigue or crash days cluster at a certain point in the cycle.
- Weight Tracker — Weekly weights, useful when appetite is low or weight is changing.
Everything you log builds one history. Guided forms include the key questions, and you can add custom symptoms when you need your own labels. Long Covid Journey is free to download.
We make Long Covid Journey at Health Journey Labs. This guide is educational and does not replace care from your clinicians; for diagnosis and treatment decisions, work with your treating clinicians.
Sources
- NHS — Long COVID
- NICE — COVID-19 rapid guideline: managing the long-term effects of COVID-19 (NG188)
- NHS — Myalgic encephalomyelitis or chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS)
- Davis et al. Long COVID: major findings, mechanisms and recommendations. Nat Rev Microbiol. 2023;21(3):133–146.
FAQ
What is the best way to track long COVID symptoms?
Rate fatigue, breathlessness, brain fog, and sleep on fixed 0–10 scales at about the same time each day, and add one line on activity and triggers. Short daily entries are more accurate than notes rebuilt the night before an appointment, especially when memory is affected.
With Long Covid Journey, the Daily check-in holds these fields in one guided pass. Looking back over a month shows which kinds of effort, sleep patterns, or triggers come before harder days, which helps you plan the week around your actual limits.
What symptoms should I track with long COVID?
Start with the most common ones the NHS lists: extreme tiredness, shortness of breath, joint pain and aching muscles, and problems with memory and concentration. Then add only the other symptoms you actually have, such as palpitations, dizziness, sleep problems, or changes in smell or taste.
In Long Covid Journey, custom symptoms let you add your own labels next to the core scores. Side by side, your weeks show which symptoms move together across weeks, which helps your clinician focus on what drives your days.
How do I track long COVID crashes after activity?
Log physical, mental, and social effort on the day it happens, then watch the next one to two days for worsening fatigue, pain, or brain fog. The NHS describes post-exertional malaise as symptoms getting worse after activity, possibly taking weeks to get better.
With Long Covid Journey, the Flare Tracker marks crash days and the Daily check-in keeps the effort before them. After a few weeks you can show the usual delay between effort and crash, which helps you and your team set a sustainable pace.
With long COVID, should I count mental effort as activity?
Yes. Screen time, work tasks, paperwork, and demanding conversations can all come before a worse day. Recording mental and social effort separately from physical effort shows which kind costs you the most, which helps when you plan pacing or a gradual return to work.
In Long Covid Journey, the Daily check-in separates kinds of effort in one entry. A few weeks of entries make it clear whether foggy or exhausted days follow mental effort more than physical effort, which helps you plan demanding tasks for better hours.
How do I track breathlessness and palpitations with long COVID?
Note what you were doing when they started, how strong they felt on a 0–10 scale, and how long they lasted. Add pulse or oxygen readings only if your clinician has asked for them. Chest pain, severe breathlessness, or fainting need prompt medical attention.
With Long Covid Journey, the Daily check-in keeps these scores next to activity, and My Labs holds heart and lung test results. Over a few weeks you can see whether episodes follow upright time, heat, or busy days, which gives your clinician concrete examples.
How do I track dizziness when standing up with long COVID?
Write what you were doing, such as standing up, showering, or cooking, how long the dizziness lasted, and whether sitting or lying down eased it. Note heat, meals, and sleep the day before, since these details help a clinician decide which tests make sense.
In Long Covid Journey, dizziness scores sit in the Daily check-in beside activity. Looking back over a month shows whether dizzy days cluster after long upright stretches or poor nights, which helps you plan rests and discuss options with your team.
How do I rate long COVID brain fog in a useful way?
Use a 0–10 score plus one concrete example, such as losing a word, rereading a page, or missing a step in a task. Note the time of day it was worst. Examples make changes over months easier to describe than a score on its own.
With Long Covid Journey, the Daily Journal holds short examples, including voice notes on foggy days. Within a month you can see how brain fog lines up with sleep and mental effort, which helps you protect the hours when thinking is clearest.
Does sleep affect long COVID symptoms?
Sleep problems are among the symptoms the NHS lists, and it suggests going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day to help with tiredness. Recording bed and wake times, night waking, and daytime rests shows how sleep and symptoms relate in your case.
In Long Covid Journey, Weekly Goals can hold a regular bedtime as one aim. Side by side, your weeks show whether more regular weeks came before lower fatigue or brain fog scores, which helps you decide which sleep habits to keep.
Should I track long COVID symptoms on good days too?
Yes. A short entry on easier days shows your baseline and what those days had in common, such as lighter activity, steady sleep, or less stress. Without them, every hard day looks random and it is harder to see what is helping.
With Long Covid Journey, a quick Daily check-in on easier days gives insights the contrast they need. Before long you can show what calmer weeks shared, which suggests pacing and sleep habits worth keeping.
How do I track new or changing long COVID symptoms?
The NHS notes that symptoms can come and go and that new ones can appear. Mark each new symptom with the date it began and a short description. If a symptom is new, severe, or worrying, contact your clinician instead of waiting for a routine visit.
In Long Covid Journey, custom symptoms keep new labels with their start dates. A few weeks of entries make it clear whether new symptoms cluster with crash weeks or other triggers, which helps your team decide what to investigate first.
How do I track long COVID treatments and rehabilitation?
Record each medicine, therapy, or rehabilitation plan with its start date, dose or schedule, missed sessions, and side effects. The NHS advises not starting exercise again before talking to a GP or specialist, so note any activity plan your team agreed with you.
With Long Covid Journey, My Meds keeps medicines with timing and Weekly Goals holds agreed aims. Over several weeks you can see how start dates and goals line up with symptom days, so your doctor can see what actually changed.
How does long COVID affect mood and work?
The NHS lists anxiety and depression among long COVID symptoms and notes the condition can affect daily life, work, and relationships. A daily mood rating and one line on what you managed, such as work hours or chores, show the real impact clearly.
In Long Covid Journey, mood sits in the Daily check-in next to symptoms. Over a few weeks you can see whether low-mood stretches follow crash weeks, and the AI companions can help you put that into words for your clinician or employer conversations.
What should I bring to a long COVID appointment?
Bring a one-page summary: weekly averages for your core scores, crash days and what came before them, sleep patterns, new symptoms with dates, and treatments with start dates and side effects. Put your most important question first and ask it early.
With Long Covid Journey, the Doctor Report builds a dated summary from what you logged, and My Care Team keeps notes for each clinician. Insights then compare the weeks before and after the visit, showing whether the plan changed crash days.
How private is a long COVID symptom log?
A long COVID log can hold crashes, heart rate, sick days, and what you could no longer do at work, which is personal detail. Treat any digital log as private, and on paper, keep the notebook somewhere only you control.
The app's own security screen lists Long Covid Journey as HIPAA-ready and GDPR compliant, with AES-256 encryption for your data. You choose what to share with partners or clinicians.