While there is nothing really typical about COVID-19 most people who get symptoms of the virus feel better after about two weeks. However, this is not always the case. In more severe cases, it could take six weeks or more to feel better, and hospitalization might be required. In some cases, people have reported lingering effects for months after getting the infection.
According to the CDC, older adults and people who have severe underlying medical conditions, like heart or lung disease or diabetes, may be at risk for developing more serious complications from COVID-19. However, young people and otherwise healthy people have had major complications that have led to death. Researchers are still trying to figure out why that happens to seemingly healthy patients and exactly how long the virus stays alive inside the body. This is known as viral persistence, and it affects how long someone is contagious and therefore how long they should stay in isolation.