Abstract: short report Wien Med Wochenschr (2021) 171:3–6 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10354-020-00793-8 SARS-CoV-2, a virus with many faces: a series of cases with prolonged persistence of COVID-19 symptoms Masoomeh Sofian · Ali Akbar Velayati · Mohammad Banifazl · Fatemeh Fotouhi · Mona Sadat Larijani · Neda Afzali · Amitis Ramezani Received: 19 June 2020 / Accepted: 16 November 2020 / Published online: 14 December 2020 © Springer-Verlag GmbH Austria, ein Teil von Springer Nature 2020 Summary Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), as the causative agent of the ongoing pandemic, has spread into more than 200 countries to date. The disease which is caused by the virus is termed COVID-19. In most cases, it presents at first like common flu with cough and other respiratory symptoms. Nevertheless, other symptoms have been reported, such as a feeling of extreme fatigue, gastrointestinal symptoms, or acute onset of olfactory and gustatory dysfunction. Here we report a series of 10 cases (1 male, 9 females) observed between February and April 2020, with an undulating appearance and disappearance of symptoms. Weeks passed before the diagnosis was established. Symptoms resolved rapidly after treatment with hydroxyProfessor of Infectious Diseases M. Sofian Infectious Disease Research Center, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran Professor of Pediatrics A. A. Velayati Masih Daneshvari Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran Professor of Pediatrics M. Banifazl Iranian Society for Support of Patients with Infectious Disease, Tehran, Iran Associate Professor of Virology F. Fotouhi Influenza and other Respiratory Viruses Department, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran M. Sadat Larijani, PhD Clinical Research Department, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran N. Afzali, Master degree of Government Management Rapid Reaction Force, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran A. Ramezani, MD, PhD () Clinical Research Department, Pasteur Institute of Iran, No:69, Pasteur Ave, 1316943551 Tehran, Iran amitisramezani@hotmail.com K chloroquine. It seems that the course of COVID-19 can be mild or moderate but with a long persistence of symptoms, and may therefore remain obscure. This may cause a public health issue because of the long infectivity of these patients. Keywords COVID-19 · SARS-CoV-2 · Iran · Prolonged symptomatology · Public health