Thousands of young, previously healthy people with mild COVID-19 cases have had symptoms persist for several months, according to The Atlantic.
About 80 percent of people who contact COVID-19 have mild or asymptomatic cases, according to the World Health Organization. A minority of people — typically those who are older or have preexisting conditions — require critical care.
But there is a separate category of patients experiencing severe, prolonged symptoms, who remain largely absent from public discourse, according to The Atlantic. The publication interviewed nine such patients, many of whom are young, were previously fit and never required intensive care or ventilation. Some of them have had COVID-19 symptoms such as fatigue or difficulty breathing for up to three months, making it difficult for them to exercise, cook or perform other simple tasks.
"It is mild relative to dying in a hospital, but this virus has ruined my life," Vonny Leclerc, a Scotland-based journalist who's had symptoms for more than two months, told The Atlantic.
"Before this, I was a fit, healthy 32-year-old. Now I've been reduced to not being able to stand up in the shower without feeling fatigued."
The patients said their unique circumstances have often been met with disbelief from friends and medical professionals.
"It feels like no one understands," said Chloe Kaplan, a resident of Washington, D.C., who's had symptoms for more than 75 days. "I don’t think people are aware of the middle ground, where it knocks you off your feet for weeks, and you neither die nor have a mild case."
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