Think COVID-19 lasts 2 weeks? This patient has been suffering for months

What scientists understand least about COVID-19 are its long-term effects. Conventional wisdom says most cases are mild and the infection lasts about two weeks, but some people have been dealing with serious symptoms for a lot longer.

Cliff Morrison is a health care administrator in the Bay Area and has been experiencing symptoms for months. He’s participating in UCSF’s two-year study on the long-term effects of COVID-19. 

KCRW: When did you first get sick, and when were you first diagnosed?

Cliff Morrison: “I started with what I thought was a really severe allergy attack, because I’ve had chronic allergies my whole life, around the last week in March. And the first week in April, I realized if this was allergies, it was the most serious that I’ve ever had. But I had never spiked a temp [temperature]. Then on April 8th, I came to work and I just felt terrible. I felt like I’d hit a wall and realized that I probably needed medical attention. So I called my doctor and he was able to see me that afternoon. And he immediately diagnosed me from just examining me and seeing the symptoms that I had.