There is a common misconception that people who come down with COVID-19 experience one of two disease courses: They have minimal or no symptoms that clear up in a week, or they get extremely ill and either die or recover after receiving intensive care treatment.
But now that the coronavirus has been under sharp focus for more than six months, physicians are noting that this binary belief is inaccurate. Some patients in both categories experience lingering symptoms and are at risk for long-term damage to organ systems weeks and months later.

The next few months will be full of grim updates about the spread of the new coronavirus, but they will also be full of homecomings. Patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19, some having spent weeks breathing with the help of a mechanical ventilator, will set about resuming their lives. Many will likely deal with lingering effects of the virus—and of the emergency treatments that allowed them to survive it.

Health systems must start ramping up services for helping people recover from intensive care treatment for coronavirus, doctors are warning. After spending several weeks on a ventilator, people will need extensive physical and mental rehabilitation for weeks or even months.