I got Covid just after Thanksgiving at Nephew's birthday party resulting in an immediate and drastic loss of power on the bike with lung and sinus congestion and no sense of smell and eventually a lot of joint pain, diagnosed with Long Covid.
After 7 months, my 5 minute power on the bike is almost normal. I use 5 minute max hill climbing power to approximate VO2 max. My fractional utilization of VO2 max or approximately FTP is still relatively low, indicating some degree of metabolic healing or enhancement is still needed. I just regained my sense of smell, joints still hurt, and congestion is getting better. My chronic training load is now returned to what it was off season, in other words I am about as fit as I was at Thanksgiving but not like normal Summer fitness. My resting HR went from the 50's to the high 80's and low 90's and slowly came down over the months. My heart rate variability went from the 60's down into the 30's and is now back up to the high 50's upon waking. I am 20 pounds overweight.
Right now I am rapidly improving.
I wish I never went to that damned party.