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Lingering COVID-19 symptoms can persist even with mild cases, UW study finds

SEATTLE — A new study found that people who had mild cases of COVID-19 continued to experience lingering symptoms several months after recovering from the illness.

In a release, UW Medicine said it had participants from the greater Seattle area in a study for six to nine months after they were infected with coronavirus.

Researchers found a percentage of the people experienced fatigue, loss of smell and taste and other problems that continued and diminish their ability to carry out their daily routines.

According to UW Medicine, most of the participants did not become sick enough to be hospitalized for their initial illness, and some did not become ill at all.

In their study, some of the participants were young, previously healthy adults who later went on to experience debility. The symptoms did increase with age.

Scientists are still working to find out what is causing the lasting symptoms and what might be done to treat patients.