Dawson is among what Dr. David Goldstein, head of the National Institutes of Health’s Autonomic Medicine Section, called “waves and waves” of “long-haul” COVID patients who remain sick long after testing negative for the virus. A significant percentage are suffering from syndromes that few doctors understand or treat, primarily postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). In fact, a yearlong wait to see specialists for these syndromes was common even before the ranks of patients were swelled by pandemic newcomers. For some, the consequences are life altering.