The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the first case of the novel coronavirus in the United States back in January. But many months and over 5 million cases (and counting) later, the medical community is still learning about the virus including the fact that many patients are still experiencing symptoms for up to five months after theyre considered recovered.

These patients are known as long-haulers, a nonmedical term used to refer to those living with lingering COVID-19 symptoms.

According to Janice Johnston, medical director of Redirect Health in Scottsdale, Arizona, the bulk of patients that contract COVID-19 recover completely within one to two weeks, but those with more serious symptoms can take up to three to four weeks to fully recover.

As for long-haulers, she said its not really clear just yet who is most at risk of having these lingering symptoms, but it does seem to impact those considered to be high-risk and those with more severe symptoms.

These symptoms, which include cardiac, neurological and other issues, can be challenging, frustrating, debilitating and life-altering. HuffPost spoke with medical experts and long-haulers to give a full picture of what its really like to deal with long-COVID, according to their own experience.

Shortness of breath, cough and tightness of the chest

Johnston said the most common lingering symptoms seen in long-haulers are similar to those seen during the acute phase of the coronavirus, such as shortness of breath, a cough and chest tightness.

She said she has noticed that patients who were ventilated due to respiratory failure and/or because of blood clots were the same ones who had the most challenges getting back to normal, everyday activity after recovery.

Their lung function and overall muscle mass take a long time to recover, often needing multiple medications, inhalers, oxygen and physical therapy to gain back strength, Johnston said.

Sandy Rairdan, a 60-year-old from Arizona, told HuffPost that her lung capacity has been poor since she was diagnosed with COVID-19 two months ago.

I cant really go much past a half an hour of walking, she said. I have been able to swim a bit which is good for my lungs. I had a blood test done and my liver isnt functioning properly, and my blood platelets are not where they are supposed to be. My bloodwork showed that I had experienced severe trauma. I had a lung X-ray though and everything is clear, so that has been very encouraging.

Fatigue

Another common symptom of long-COVID is overwhelming fatigue. Johnston said she has not only seen this in patients, but has also experienced it herself since contracting COVID-19 in June.

Rairdan also noted exhaustion as a major part of her experience. Fatigue is a big one and I imagine that will hang on for a while, she said.

Aluko A. Hope, co-director of Montefiore Health Systems COVID Recovery Engagement (CORE) Clinic in the Bronx, New York, attributes the fatigue to the physical, emotional and cognitive work of recovering from this serious illness [taking] its toll on the body.

For example, patients who are recently discharged from a serious COVID-related illness may have trouble walking up and down stairs because their muscles are not back to full strength, Hope said. This means a simple task like answering a phone call or picking up the mail during the day could push this patient to their physical limits.