Mukherjee stressed that those who experience lasting symptoms after COVID should not feel anxious, because research suggests full recovery is by far the most likely outcome, even in severe cases.“You don’t want to ignore long COVID symptoms, but have faith you will get better and that by 12 months possibly all the symptoms will be gone.”She added that if symptoms persist you should seek medical attention, ideally from a rheumatologist, who specializes in auto-immune diseases (when the body attacks its own tissues and organs).The research shows that individuals whose symptoms persisted beyond 12 months were those with heightened antibody and cytokine levels, that can cause the body to attack itself in addition to a virus.“The people who claim there is no long COVID possibly have not faced it themselves, or not seen it in their immediate close circle,” she said, while adding that from a science perspective, such skepticism is understandable.She said that while long COVID has affected her daily quality of life, it has also motivated the 38-year old to eat better, live healthier, and “keep a good work-life balance.”"