When Covid Won’t Go Away

In the nine months since the coronavirus emerged, the global medical community has learned about how to detect the virus, restrict its spread and better treat patients. Lately, scientists are also confronting a glaring blind spot in their knowledge: thousands of Covid-19 patients who report that months later they haven't recovered in full.

Mysterious lingering symptoms after viral infections aren't new. Patients recovering from other viruses, including Ebola and the coronaviruses SARS and MERS, have also reported a wide range of continuing health problems, including neurologic issues. And then there's chronic fatigue syndrome, also called myalgic encephalomyelitis, a mysterious and debilitating condition linked to numerous viral infections.