COVID-19 survivors as young as 40 often face long, painful recoveries


"People think that, with COVID-19, 1 percent die and the rest just have flu," virologist Peter Piot, a giant of AIDS and Ebola research, tells The New York Times. "It's not that simple — there's this whole thing in the middle." Piot, 71, should know: The coronavirus "hit me like a bus" in March, he said, and he's only now able to move about for more than 10 minutes at a time. Researchers are still learning about the new coronavirus, but some people fortunate enough to recover still face lung scarring, heart damage, persistent fatigue, blood clots, strokes, neurological problems, and other long-term damage.
People in their 70s or older, like Piot, "are most likely to die from the virus, while younger people generally have a milder form of COVID," Renuka Rayasam writes at Politico. "Survivors in their 40s, 50s, and 60s will likely suffer the longest," experiencing serious aftereffects following more severe infections. The exhaustion and shortness of breath can make it impossible to return to work for a year or more, which can also lead to deteriorating mental health. COVID-19 survivors aren't allowed to join the U.S. military, Rayasam notes.
Middle-aged survivors are "the group that we're concerned about when we discharge," Shari Brosnahan, a pulmonary and critical care doctor at NYU's Langone Health, tells Politico. "If you were an active person with this disease and were in the ICU, your transition away from either being a primary breadwinner or taking care of kids or taking a trip in your retirement, those are things that have been taken away from you."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The 99,000 recorded U.S. COVID-19 deaths grab most of the attention, but it's worth remembering — and keeping in mind — that life hasn't returned to normal for many of the 1.68 million Americans infected with the coronavirus, and it may not feel normal for quite a while.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Critics push back as the government goes after Job Corps
The Explainer For at-risk teens, the program has been a lifeline
-
5 horror movies to sweat out this summer
The Week Recommends A sequel, a reboot and a follow up from the director of 'Barbarian' highlight the upcoming scary movie slate
-
Bryan Burrough's 6 favorite books about Old West gunfighters
Feature The Texas-raised author recommends works by T.J. Stiles, John Boessenecker, and more
-
RFK Jr. scraps Covid shots for pregnant women, kids
Speed Read The Health Secretary announced a policy change without informing CDC officials
-
New FDA chiefs limit Covid-19 shots to elderly, sick
speed read The FDA set stricter approval standards for booster shots
-
US overdose deaths plunged 27% last year
speed read Drug overdose still 'remains the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18-44,' said the CDC
-
Trump seeks to cut drug prices via executive order
speed read The president's order tells pharmaceutical companies to lower prescription drug prices, but it will likely be thrown out by the courts
-
RFK Jr. visits Texas as 2nd child dies from measles
Speed Read An outbreak of the vaccine-preventable disease continues to grow following a decade of no recorded US measles deaths
-
Shingles vaccine cuts dementia risk, study finds
Speed Read Getting vaccinated appears to significantly reduce the chances of developing Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia
-
Measles outbreak spreads, as does RFK Jr.'s influence
Speed Read The outbreak centered in Texas has grown to at least three states and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is promoting unproven treatments
-
RFK Jr. offers alternative remedies as measles spreads
Speed Read Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. makes unsupported claims about containing the spread as vaccine skepticism grows