People who have contracted COVID-19 are facing potentially long-term health issues that may not go away.

Jeff Muhlstock got the virus in March. It wasn’t until July that his breathing was finally back to normal.

“I would say a solid three months I was attached to a hose,” he says.

From getting winding to being lightheaded, the 58-year-old’s symptoms lingered. He is not alone and the health issues cover a wide range.

“For me, in my ear, I hear a loud static all the time,” says Michael Goldsmith.

Goldsmith, 34, was in a coma for about three weeks at Hackensack University Medical Center after he was diagnosed with COIVD-19. The hospital now has a recovery center for people coping with the virus.

“The biggest problem I have right now is the whole left side of my head is numb,” Goldsmith says. He will need an implant to help with the static in his hear.

Since COVID-19 can ravage the body, doctors say that it is not a surprise that patients are suffering long-term effects. They say that it underscores the need for better understanding and better treatment of the illness.

“It’s not as much of a shock as it is just a recognition this could lead to a much bigger public health problem,” says University Hospital President and CEO Dr. Shereef Elnahal.

Elnahal says that problems mostly persist for people who were really sick with the virus. But he says that there have been other patients – some with new COVID symptoms at all – who have issues later on. Elnahal says that it is unclear if the issues are permanent.

Muhlstock says that he is close to feeling 100% better physically. Mentally, however, he says it is a work in progress.

“I have fear and I have anxiety. I don’t know that it’s going away anytime soon,” he says.

He says that his family and his work are what keeps him sane.