  The Schwarzschild geometry is investigated within the context of
effective-field-theory models of gravity. Starting from its harmonic-coordinate
expression, we derive the metric in standard coordinates by keeping the leading
one-loop quantum contributions in their most general form. We examine the
metric horizons and the nature of the hypersurfaces having constant radius;
furthermore, a possible energy-extraction process which violates the null
energy condition is described, and both timelike and null geodesics are
studied. Our analysis shows that there is no choice of the sign of the constant
parameter embodying the quantum correction to the metric which leaves all the
features of the classical Schwarzschild solution almost unaffected.
