> More scientifically, what is long covid? Is that how viruses work? I guess the idea is that the virus is hiding out somewhere in the body where the immune sys

> More scientifically, what is long covid? Is that how viruses work? I guess the idea is that the virus is hiding out somewhere in the body where the immune system and doctors can’t find it…? This is a big open question. Viruses absolutely can hang around for decades with the immune system unable to remove it (see for example shingles). It could also be damage done during infection that the body just isn't fully able to repair. Or it could be phycological (we can't rule it out), or some other not yet understood mechanism.