How To Get Rid of a Lingering Cough After COVID

A lingering cough after COVID-19 affects nearly 5% of infected people. Coughing is a common COVID symptom, and it can potentially stick around for longer than four weeks—and up to six months—after testing negative. However, a lasting cough after COVID is not usually a cause for concern—and many viral infections leave people with a chronic cough.

How Long Does a Cough Last After COVID?

Research has shown that a cough can last longer than four weeks and up to six months in some people after COVID. How long a lingering cough persists can depend on age, overall health, and the severity of illness.

A lingering cough after COVID results from the way the virus affects the body. This upper respiratory infection can lead to inflammation of the mucus membranes in the throat and the bronchial tubes (airways). This inflammation can take time to heal in some people.

An upper respiratory infection can change the way vagal sensory nerves communicate with the brain. This makes you more sensitive to the cough reflex. Vagal sensory nerves are part of the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps the body relax. These nerves help control involuntary functions like digestion, breathing, blood pressure, heart rate, and immune system responses.

It can be annoying, but having a lingering cough isn't necessarily a bad thing. Coughing is the body's way of clearing the airways of viruses like SARS-CoV-2 and excess mucus.

Types of Coughs

There are two primary types of coughs: productive and unproductive coughs. A productive, or wet, cough produces mucus or phlegm. An unproductive, or dry cough, doesn't produce mucus and phlegm.

It's difficult to diagnose COVID based on the sound of the cough. About 60% to 70% of people with COVID have a dry cough toward the beginning of the infection. Many people can have or develop a wet cough over time.

You can get tested if you develop a cough and think you might have COVID—or if you may have been exposed. Reach out to a healthcare provider if you have any concerns.

Am I Still Contagious?

A lingering cough after COVID doesn't always mean you are still contagious. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that people with mild to moderate COVID remain infectious up to 10 days from symptom onset.

This period extends to 20 days or longer for those with more severe COVID infection. People who are moderately or severely immunocompromised can also be contagious for this period.

The CDC previously advised people to isolate for a minimum of five days. As of March 2024, the CDC has updated its guidance. You can end isolation if your symptoms are improving and you're fever-free for at least 24 hours.

Some people who have recovered from COVID may still test positive for the virus after they're feeling better. Polymerase chain reaction (PRR) testing is sensitive and can detect the virus for up to three months. This doesn't necessarily indicate transmission risk unless you have a weak immune system. You may consult with a healthcare provider if this is the case.

Do I Have Long COVID?

Long COVID, or post-COVID conditions, can include many new, returning, or ongoing symptoms that people develop after being infected. These symptoms last at least three months, often longer, from the onset of COVID infection.

Symptoms can affect any bodily system, including respiratory, digestive, cardiovascular, and neurological. There's no official medical test for long COVID, making it difficult to diagnose.

Coughing is one of the most common long-lasting COVID symptoms. A 2023 study of about 8,600 adults with long COVID found that about 33% had a chronic cough that lasted at least six months after symptom onset.

Coughing is a potential respiratory symptom of long COVID, but experts are hesitant to associate a lingering cough with it definitively. "Categorizing something as part of long COVID means it has to interfere with activities of daily living," Amesh Adalja, MD, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, told Health. "Chronic cough doesn't usually interfere with people's activities in a way that some other symptoms associated with long COVID do."

Other Potential Complications

Having a lingering cough independent of other symptoms may indicate that it's not long COVID. Other possible complications of a persistent cough after COVID-19 include:

Asthma

Any viral respiratory infection, including COVID, can trigger asthma. Symptoms include cough, dyspnea (shortness of breath), chest tightness, or wheezing. These symptoms can occur in people without prior asthma or a remote history of asthma.

Autoimmune Disorders

Reduced immune cells can trigger an autoimmune response. This response can cause the immune system to attack healthy cells, tissues, or organs. COVID has been reported to trigger autoimmune disease or cause an autoimmune reaction.

Interstitial Lung Disease

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a group of conditions that causes lung scarring and shortness of breath. ILD might also cause persistent coughing.

How To Get Rid of a Lingering Cough

There's no specific treatment for a lingering cough after COVID. Staying hydrated can help the body clear mucus and promote healing.

Other basic remedies include:

• Consuming honey or cough drops as needed
• Taking a hot and steamy shower
• Using a humidifier

Regular exercise can also be helpful in the healing process. Physical activity increases blood flow to the lungs, helping healthier areas compensate for damaged ones. You may talk to a healthcare provider about what types of exercise can be beneficial.

The goal of treatment is to reduce the cough reflex. Other possible treatments include medications like inhaled corticosteroids (steroids). This class of medication reduces the cough reflex, airway inflammation, and mucus secretion.

When To Consult a Healthcare Provider

Contact a medical provider if you experience a lingering cough that doesn't get better after a few weeks. A persistent cough might be a sign of another infection. The infection might be viral (e.g., influenza) or bacterial (e.g., pneumonia).

Talk to a healthcare provider right away if you have an infant younger than 3 months who develops a cough. You may also seek help from a healthcare provider if you have:

• A cough that lasts longer than 10 to 14 days 
• A cough that's violent and begins suddenly or brings up blood
• Fever
• Phlegm that smells back and is thick and yellowish-green
• Recently had contact with someone with tuberculosis
• Signs of heart failure, such as a cough that worsens when you lay down, heart disease, or leg swelling
• Stridor, or a high-pitched sound when you breathe in
• Unexplained weight loss or night sweats

Get medical attention right away if you have COVID and develop severe symptoms. These symptoms include chest pain or pressure, discolored lips or face, and trouble breathing.

A Quick Review

Coughing is the body's way of clearing an infection, but a chronic cough can be due to inflammation. A lingering cough after COVID is possible, but it's not usually a cause for concern. It might also not even be related to COVID.

Seek medical attention if you have a cough that persists for more than a month, if it changes or gets worse, or if you develop new symptoms. Treatments can reduce the risk of possible complications and chronic conditions.