# Long COVID Recovery Varies by Symptoms

> Long COVID recovery rates differ sharply based on symptom patterns, study shows.
- Title: Long COVID Recovery Varies by Symptoms · Seattletimes
- Summary: Long COVID recovery rates differ sharply based on symptom patterns, study shows. A U.S. study finds fewer than one in five people with long COVID affecting…
- Keywords: long covid, symptoms, recovery, u.s. national institutes of health, recover initiative, annals of internal medicine, Seattletimes
- Source: Seattletimes — https://seattletimes.com/seattle-news/health/long-covid-recovery-varies-sharply-by-symptoms-study-finds
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: long covid, symptoms, recovery, u.s. national institutes of health, recover initiative, annals of internal medicine, news, local
## Long Covid Recovery Rates
A U.S. study finds fewer than one in five people with long COVID affecting multiple body systems improve within three years.
## Study Participants
Researchers followed 1,019 adults who still had probable long COVID a year after their initial infection.
## Symptom Patterns
About 60% of people with smell or taste changes improved by three years, compared with less than 19% with multiple body system symptoms.
## Recovery Definition
Participants improved when symptom scores stayed below the long COVID threshold at two consecutive study visits.
## Key takeaway

A U.S. study finds fewer than one in five people with long COVID affecting multiple body systems improve within three years.