Facebook Twitter

1 in 3 COVID-19 patients have symptoms that don’t go away, CDC says

CDC says symptoms don’t always disappear for the novel coronavirus

SHARE 1 in 3 COVID-19 patients have symptoms that don’t go away, CDC says
In this Wednesday, April 8, 2020, photo, bicyclists wear pandemic masks while riding in Portland, Maine. Bicycle sales have surged as shut-in families try to find a way to keep kids active at a time of lockdowns and stay-at-home orders during the coronavirus pandemic.

In this Wednesday, April 8, 2020, photo, bicyclists wear pandemic masks while riding in Portland, Maine. Bicycle sales have surged as shut-in families try to find a way to keep kids active at a time of lockdowns and stay-at-home orders during the coronavirus pandemic.

Robert F. Bukaty, Associated Press

About one-third of coronavirus patients have symptoms that don’t go away, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The report — which focused on patients who were not hospitalized from the coronavirus — found patients experience symptoms weeks and months after they first tested positive.

  • Patients with COVID-19 did not return to their regular level of health within two to three weeks of the diagnosis.
  • In fact, 1 in 5 patients have not returned to normal health.
  • Lingering symptoms included fatigue, cough, congestion, dyspnea, loss of taste and smell, chest pain and confusion. Other symptoms, like vomiting, nausea, fever and chills, did not last as long.

“COVID-19 can result in prolonged illness, even among young adults without underlying chronic medical conditions. Effective public health messaging targeting these groups is warranted,” the CDC said.

As I wrote for Deseret.com, the CDC said earlier this month that COVID-19 patients often had one of three major symptoms — fever, cough and shortness of breath. The CDC published the results last week. The report found 96% of patients had either fever, cough or shortness of breath from the coronavirus. About half of that — 45% — experienced all three of those symptoms.