There is no single medical definition for long Covid.

Those suffering long-term symptoms of coronavirus can face problems in its aftermath. Different people recovering from an infection can experience extremely different issues.

Around 186,000 of us across the UK have suffered problems after testing positive for Covid, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Sam Hankin, a teacher in his 20s from Hitchin, is one of these people. He bravely shared his story online and has allowed Nub News to help spread his message to a wider audience.

What is long Covid?

New guidelines from the National Institute for Care Excellence (NICE), its counterpart the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) and the Royal College of GPs, list more than two dozen common long-term symptoms including breathlessness, a cough that won't go away, joint pain, muscle aches, hearing problems, headaches, loss of smell and dizziness and, in some cases, mental health problems.

The new report says the symptoms are often unpredictable, affecting people in many different ways and at different times.

It also says the likelihood of developing longer-term complications is not thought to be linked to either the severity of the original infection or whether the patient has been admitted to hospital.

Read on to learn in Sam's own words about the struggle he has faced since he tested positive for Covid.

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One month ago today at 609am, I received the text message to say I tested positive for Covid after coming down with minor symptoms two days previously.

I'd like to share my story to encourage everyone to be as careful as possible and stay safe over the Christmas break - because, trust me, you don't want to catch Covid.

To set the scene, I'm a 27-year-old secondary school teacher in Hitchin

I have no underlying health conditions and love climbing mountains, kayaking, and I can run a 10k in an hour.

Up to now I had only ever had two days off work due to physically being sick after catching a bug.

This has been my Covid journey so far:

After testing positive, I felt cold but okay and continued teaching pupils 'virtually' from home.

This lasted about two days before I started feeling tired. I signed out from work on the Thursday and slept for the rest of the day.

On the Friday my chest felt like it was being sat on by a dinosaur, and by the afternoon my breathing became so restricted I called 111.

It's incredibly scary when you go to take a breath, but nothing happens

Over the next week I slept when I could, and when I came out of my 10 days isolating, I went for a walk and started to feel much better. I even went food shopping on the Sunday.

On the Monday, I returned to school where I quickly found I wasn't actually as well as I thought.

By the third hour, I spent most of the lesson sitting at my desk, and after lunch I asked for help as I knew I couldn't continue - which if you know me, isn't something I usually do and I'm not great at doing.

I went home and slept for hours, getting up for a bit of food before sleeping through until the next day.

On the Wednesday I went for another gentle walk around the block. My watch recorded my heart rate to a peak of 170 and I felt like I was about to pass out.

The GP did a few tests and informed me he had other patients with similar 'long Covid' symptoms which could last up to six months.

I just needed to go home and rest, and I was signed off work until January, pending a review between Christmas and New Year.

To summarise the next three weeks since then

- I ended up on the bathroom floor after walking up the stairs and my heart rate hitting 160. I now crawl up stairs using my hands

- I nearly passed out after eating a small roast dinner

- My heart rate hits 140-160 when doing things like getting washing out of the machine

- My ankles, knees, elbows get so painful they make you want to throw up – it feels like bone rubbing against bone

- Some nights I have slept for a maximum of two hours as I was in so much pain

- I wept for 20 minutes after feeling so low – this physically hurt my chest

- Since the beginning I lost my smell and taste and still don't have them back yet

- I've had nights where overthinking made me wonder whether I'd recover or even survive

- My feet are so cold that I wear three pairs of socks daily

- I still continue to have crushing chest pain all day. I have had a chest X-ray this week (results pending)

- I regularly forget things (short term memory issues) sometimes I forget whether I've taken painkillers literally after I've just taken them, or repeat things when speaking to people

- I have had some good days, but they're a little less common at the moment.

I count myself lucky - I certainly don't want sympathy

I actually count myself lucky as there's lots of people that have it even worse, or unfortunately have passed away.

I'm lucky enough to have an amazing support network around me. I'm doing as well as I can be, and I'm focused on getting fit as soon as I can.

I don't want any sympathy, I just want us all to stick together and make decisions that keep us all healthy, safe and well.

Take Covid seriously would be my plea

Please, please, please take Covid seriously, even if you disagree with the government and their rules, just be sensible over Christmas around your family and friends.

You don't want to get Covid, and you don't want to pass it on to anyone.

I believe I was extremely careful. I wore a mask around school always and staying two metres away when not wearing a mask and not going anywhere apart from home and work - but I still managed to catch it.

Covid can affect people differently and no one knows why

Lots of the media talks about the infection and morality rate, and most people recover by the end of their ten day isolation.

But research is now showing 21 per cent of people still have Covid symptoms five weeks on.

And one of my main concerns at the moment is not knowing what long term damage Covid is currently doing.

So yes, you may get Covid, yes you may recover and not need to go to hospital, but you could be ill up to six months and more, and it may be causing longer-term damage.

A big thank you to my colleagues

To my colleagues and teaching friends, thank you for everything you've been doing over the last term, especially supporting myself and other colleagues who are recovering - as I'm aware we don't get replaced and you just have to pick up our work on top of everything you have to do.

Teaching - and everything else we're having to do - is tough at the moment, but we've got each other and need to remember we do it for the students.

For anyone that isn't in education – please help support your local schools – everyone is trying their best and we haven't got much support from the government.

Stay safe. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone. (Sorry I haven't done cards this year)