Sources checked October 24, 2026. This adult-focused guide describes symptom terminology and observational research. It does not diagnose a headache or recommend a treatment. If you think you are having a medical emergency, call 911.
Is a headache during COVID the same as Long COVID?
CDC lists headache among possible symptoms of the initial COVID-19 illness.[1] Its Long COVID list separately includes headaches among neurological symptoms.[2] Appearing on both lists does not make the two timelines interchangeable.[1][2]
CDC defines Long COVID as a condition following SARS-CoV-2 infection that is present for at least three months.[3] Its guidance says symptoms can emerge, persist, resolve and reappear.[2] That definition is not an instruction to wait three months before contacting a clinician.
For broader context, see the Long COVID guide. This page focuses on headache timing and the denominators behind two published follow-up studies, rather than repeating the full symptom list.
How long did headaches persist in follow-up studies?
These two studies observed people after infection; neither assigned participants to a headache treatment.[4][5] Their different enrollment rules and outcome definitions should remain attached to each result.[4][5]
What did the 2024 Brazilian cohort count?
Carvalho and colleagues reinterviewed 123 of 199 people who had reported headache during COVID-19.[4] The median interval from the acute illness to reinterview was 804 days.[4] Headache had continued beyond the acute phase in 64 of 123 participants; 25 of 123, or 20.3 percent, met the study's chronic daily headache definition.[4]
That definition required persistence for at least three months and headache on at least 45 days within the first three months after the acute phase.[4] The sample was selected for earlier headache, 77 percent had been hospitalized, and some eligible people were not reinterviewed.[4] This is not a percentage of all people who get COVID-19.[4]
What did the 2025 Portuguese cohort count?
Silva and colleagues began with 732 people diagnosed during the first pandemic wave; 448 completed the nominal 24-month follow-up, with an actual median follow-up of 30 months.[5] Among 333 participants without a previous headache history, 54, or 16.2 percent, reported new persistent headache.[5] Of those 54, 35 met the study's migraine-like criteria.[5]
The study defined new persistent headache as beginning after infection and lasting more than 24 weeks in someone without a prior headache history.[5] The 16.2 percent denominator is 333, not all 732 initially identified people.[5] Exclusions, deaths and follow-up losses separate the original cohort from the final sample.[5]
Does migraine-like mean a confirmed migraine diagnosis?
In the Portuguese study, migraine-like was a research classification covering migraine-without-aura or probable-migraine criteria.[5] It was not the label given to every participant with headache.[5] A study classification is not an assessment of the reader.
Neither cohort provides a personal recovery deadline or establishes which treatment someone should receive.[4][5] Keep the reported population and endpoint beside the percentage when discussing these papers.
Is there one test that confirms a post-COVID headache?
CDC says no approved laboratory test can determine whether symptoms are due to Long COVID.[3] It describes assessment using health history, evidence of prior infection or exposure, and an examination.[3] A positive SARS-CoV-2 test is not required for a Long COVID diagnosis under that guidance.[3]
CDC also notes that symptoms can resemble those of other chronic illnesses.[2] Ask the clinician what explanations are being considered rather than using the timing alone as a diagnosis.
For symptoms that are severe or concerning, CDC directs readers to contact a medical provider.[1] Its COVID-19 emergency warning-sign guidance is separate from this research summary.
What should I bring to a headache appointment?
CDC's appointment guidance says evaluation may involve questions about medical history, current symptoms and daily life, as well as tests or specialist appointments.[6] It notes that reaching a diagnosis may take more than one visit.[6]
Use these as conversation prompts, not a diagnostic score: When did the infection or positive test occur? When did the headache begin? Was there a similar headache before the infection? Did it stop and return, or continue without a break? Which daily activities have changed?
Keep a dated note for the appointment, including the medicines and supplements you are already using. Ask what information is missing, what the proposed assessment is intended to clarify, and how to contact the office if symptoms change. Do not change a prescription based on a study summary.
Where can I compare HBOT listings if it is already under discussion?
If a clinician has separately raised hyperbaric oxygen therapy, the HBOT clinic directory lets you compare recorded services and locations. Regenerated.com's September 2026 export contains 852 HBOT-tagged listings among 9,042 clinic records, across 46 states plus Washington, DC. Source: September 2026 clinic export, recounted October 24, 2026.
That is directory category coverage, not market size or a count of clinics confirmed to assess COVID-related headache. It does not establish that HBOT is appropriate for this symptom. Inclusion in the directory is not an endorsement.
The two headache cohorts summarized above did not test HBOT.[4][5]
Local records include HBOT clinics in Little Rock, Arkansas and HBOT clinics in Gilbert, Arizona. Ask what service a clinic actually provides and who handles assessment. Keep the clinic comparison separate from the decision about what your headache needs.