In serious cases, covid-19 symptoms can linger for a long time Over three-quarters of the severely ill still have symptoms six months later
For many, the intervening months have felt interminable, like living with a recurrent disease they cannot shake. Some actually are. Although most bouts of covid-19 are mild, lasting only one or two weeks, many people are left with lingering symptoms weeks or even months after infection.
The study followed 1,733 patients hospitalized in Wuhan between January and March 2020. It found that, six months on, 76% were still experiencing at least one symptom. Fatigue and muscle weakness were the most common (63%), followed by sleep disturbances (26%), hair loss (22%) and problems with the sense of smell (11%).