We Need to Talk About What Coronavirus Recoveries Look Like: the long, jagged road to recovery; by Fiona Lowenstein

The news is filled with uplifting stories of patients who have survived Covid-19 but we need pay closer attention to the stories of survivors with lingering symptoms, severe fatigue, congestion & persistent cough, intense headaches, sore throat, trouble focusing and short-term memory loss. Almost all are experiencing mental health problems, i ncluding severe anxiety, panic attacks and depression.The author says: 'even more confusing than the arrival of new symptoms is the way my progress seems to stop and start. Despite  improvement, good days are often followed by bad ones, and I’m still far from my normal, active self. The W.H.O. says that people with “mild” cases can expect recovery to take 2 weeks, while those with “severe” cases may take up to 6 weeks to recover, but the distinction between “mild” and “severe” cases is confusing, and many of us are experiencing symptoms for longer."