While most pilots diagnosed with COVID-19 are able to continue flying safely after recovering from the disease, those who experienced more severe symptoms, or who may be suffering from lingering, "long-haul COVID," will need to work with their aviation medical examiner (AME) to get back on the flight deck. The FAA has defined a process by which AMEs can report an airman's experience with COVID, and it grants the AME authority to issue medical certificates or interim clearances to those who fully recovered from the disease without being hospitalized. The AME also may certify the pilot if he or she was hospitalized, provided they did not require intensive care and have fully recovered. The exam must be deferred, however, for pilots who were in the ICU, or who continue to experience residual symptoms or side effects. In such cases, the pilot will need to provide documentation associated with their condition requested by the AME and send it to the FAA Office of Aerospace Medicine for review.
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