Eileen and Louise both got COVID-19 in the early days of the pandemic in New York. Eileen ended up on a ventilator for two months and then spent five months in a rehab hospital. Louise fought the illness at home as hospitals started filling up. Gabriela Bhaskar for NPR hide caption
Georgia Linders got sick with COVID in the spring of 2020 and never recovered. Her ongoing battle with long COVID has prevented her from working. She spends her days advocating for COVID longhaulers like herself and painting, one of the few activities that doesn't wear her out. Georgia Linders hide caption
Kathleen Hipps was fully vaccinated when she got sick from COVID-19—a breakthrough infection. Weeks later, she's still experiencing symptoms. Kathleen Hipps hide caption
Weeks after getting sick from COVID-19, Kathleen Hipps is still experiencing symptoms, even though she was fully vaccinated. Kathleen Hipps hide caption