The Importance of the CARE for Long Covid Act

It’s possible that more than half of covid survivors experience lingering symptoms for at least half a year after their initial infection. The impact ranges in severity and for some sufferers the experience is truly devastating.

NOSSCR truly understands the impacts of long-term disabilities and is proud to endorse the CARE for Long COVID Act, legislation to help people living with long Covid by providing research and resources.  The bill was introduced by Senator Tim Kaine, who himself is a long hauler, as well as Senators Ed Markey, and Tammy Duckworth.

“While our nation is fighting to emerge from the COVID-19 crisis, millions of Americans will continue to feel its lingering impacts due to Long COVID,” said Senator Markey. “Long COVID can be serious and devastating, from neurological and respiratory symptoms to impacts on mental health. We need to take on the long-term impacts of COVID as aggressively as we’ve taken on this virus.”

Further, NOSSCR was pleased to learn that the Social Security Administration (SSA) asked the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) to study the long-term health effects of COVID-19. NASEM held a two-day workshop on this topic on March 21 and 22; meeting materials, speaker bios, and other documents are available here.

We are hopeful that the workshop provided a lot of useful information to SSA. Presenters included doctors from a variety of specialties, people with long Covid and their caretakers, SSA employees, and others. Some presentations focused on how covid affects specific body systems, while others addressed the effect of long covid on the US labor market, how long covid is diagnosed and treated, and the functional limitations caused by various aspects of long Covid.

NASEM will prepare a report of the workshop proceedings, which can be used by SSA and others as they continue to learn about and develop policy on long Covid.

For more reading on long Covid and disability, take a look at these articles:

• Seriously, the Pandemic Isn’t Over
• Long COVID study indicates “something concerning is happening”
• Covid long-haulers face grueling fights for disability benefits
• Covid is making more people disabled and exposing America’s tattered safety net