Watch the video to hear from someone who weighed the risks, then explore this page to decide for yourself.
Some people suffer from the effects of COVID-19 for months after the acute phase of the illness (often they are called “long haulers”). We are still learning a lot about the long-term effects, but here’s what we know now:
For the latest research on COVID-19 as it is published, please see the Journal of the American Medical Association’s Coronavirus Resource Center.
While it’s clear that people with certain risk factors (including high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, obesity, and other conditions) are more likely to have a serious bout of COVID-19 (during the initial illness), there is no clear link between these risk factors and long-term problems.
More studies will shed light on why these lingering health problems persist in some people. They could be due to organ damage from COVID-19, a persistent inflammatory or autoimmune response to getting sick with COVID-19, or another reason.
Mild or moderate COVID-19 lasts about two weeks for most people, but health problems can linger for months. We are still learning why some folks become “long haulers” with these persistent health issues.
Losing your sense of smell—or anosmia, to use the technical term—can occur during a case of COVID-19. Sometimes, it is the only symptom. Other times, it accompanies other mild symptoms such as a dry cough.
It remains unclear why this happens. But, it happens frequently—in perhaps as much as 86 percent of COVID-19 cases. And, it happens slightly more frequently in women.
The sooner someone recognizes and reports their lost sense of smell, the sooner they can get COVID-19 testing and treatment, and the sooner they can protect others by quarantining while they await the test results.
Lost sense of smell can last from approximately three weeks to several months—and it can be disruptive to mental health. People who feel a greater sense of anxiety, depression, or isolation should reach out to a mental health counselor or trusted friend or family member for comfort and support.
A study of more than 2,500 patients at 18 European hospitals found lost sense of smell in 55 percent of patients with mild cases of COVID-19 and in 37 percent of moderate-to-critical cases.
wearing a mask & social distancing
If you choose to get vaccinated:
You can resume most activities that you did prior to the pandemic without wearing a mask or social distancing. (Note: Masks are still required at some indoor public places like public transportation, airports, and hospitals.) People who get COVID-19 after vaccination represent about 1/100th of 1 percent of those who’ve been vaccinated, so your risk of contracting COVID-19 is extremely low.
With the delta variant, breakthrough infections among those who are vaccinated is 5%. In these breakthrough cases of illness, the vaccine still protected against death.
If you choose not to get vaccinated:
You will be safest avoiding indoor places operating at full capacity, like bars, gyms, restaurants, and movie theaters. You will also want to consider avoiding all non-essential travel and large indoor events. If you are around people who are not part of your household, maintaining social distance (at least six feet apart) and wearing a mask will continue to be essential. Your risk of contracting COVID will be 75% higher than the national average.