News about the novel coronavirus , which causes the disease COVID-19 , is more scary than reassuring. We hear a lot about death counts, terrifying symptoms and new infections, and less about recovery.

But people do get better in fact, more than 1 million people around the globe (and counting!) are considered recovered from COVID-19, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

But how long does it take to reach that point? And what are some signs that youre healthy again? Heres what we know:

Those who get mild cases can expect to start to recover after about 14 days

If you get a case of coronavirus where youre able to stay home and not need emergency medical care, this is considered mild. Symptoms typically include a fever, some shortness of breath and a cough. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also added a loss of taste and smell, chills, headaches and a sore throat to their list of possible symptoms.

If this is the worst you get (and we dont mean that in a minimizing way, those symptoms are hell), you can expect to start to recover from the disease after about 14 days, according to initial data from China published in a report by the World Health Organization .

However, it can take longer to completely get rid of your symptoms. The data only notes that the two-week recovery time is an average, not a guarantee. Some reports also suggest that issues like a cough may linger .

An important note: This is the time frame from the onset of your symptoms , the day when you first start to feel sick. You could have been infected or contagious before that, as experts estimate it takes two to 14 days for symptoms to appear.

That along with the fact that some symptoms can last for weeks, even if you generally feel better is why its so important to isolate yourself when youre sick and keep in touch with your doctor. Its crucial that you follow a physicians advice and minimize the spread of the virus as much as possible.

For those with a more severe case of COVID-19, recovery could take a few weeks to over a month

For those who are severe or critical, the average recovery time was about three to six weeks, according to the World Health Organization report . However, its also been reported that it could take as many as eight weeks to months to feel somewhat normal again, depending on how harsh your symptoms were during the illness.

COVID-19 cases in this category usually get worse about a week to 10 days after the onset of symptoms, and typically occur because of the backfiring of your immune system. In its effort to fight off the virus, your immune response may cause collateral damage to the body . People who experience this may have trouble breathing or get pneumonia or lung-related problems. Some may need hospitalization because of breathing troubles, where they might receive oxygen therapy.

Then there are the even more severe cases. According to the World Health Organization, its estimated that globally about 1 in 20 people infected with coronavirus may require intensive care. This may include being put on a ventilator to assist with breathing if its too difficult to do on your own.

In recovery situations like this, it may take up to 12 to 18 months before youre able to feel back to normal, the BBC reported . You may need assistance with rebuilding muscle and could experience other problems, like post-traumatic stress disorder , which will require help and attention.

Symptoms like fatigue may linger long after youve been discharged or are considered recovered, according to the BBC . If you were in an intensive care unit, you may also experience trouble breathing for a while.