On Wednesday, the Biden-Harris administration announced the creation of a new office focused on Long Covid within the Department of Health and Human Services. It is an important step towards legalizing the lasting, sometimes debilitating effects of post-viral disease – something that has been done conspicuously absent From a public health message on the virus.
The White House and HHS outlined the tasks and goals of this office, along with other strategies for dealing with the situation, in two reports released today: on National Research Action Plan long covid And this Services and support for the long-term effects of COVID-19 report good. HHS Assistant Secretary for Health Admiral Rachel Levine, MD Will lead the newly created office, and is tasked with implementing both reports.
In addition to offering a comprehensive overview of the government’s approach to conducting critical research on chronic COVID, the report also compiles existing resources, programs and support available to those living with the condition and their families. and acknowledging that “racial disparities in the Long Covid remain relatively unexplained,” work plan Highlighted the need for inclusive research and “culturally and linguistically effective services” for racial and ethnic minority communities.
Of course, it is too early to know how much the new office will be able to accomplish, given that funding is needed to conduct research and programs, and, as per action plan, “HHS will need to work with private partners and Congress to act and support these items.” and because of Uncertainty about fundingThere is no definite time frame as to when the Office and its programs will start and run. At the same time, the wide-ranging impact of long-term COVID-19 – affecting everything from a person’s physical and mental health to their ability to live in employment and housing – necessitates a number of nuanced solutions rather than a simple one-size-fits-all approach. Is.
For advocacy group co-founder Kristin Urkiza marked by COVIDThe plans of administration fail and they lack urgency. “Many of the resources provided in the report seem like cold rest and temporary bandaids when it comes to needing a tourniquet and emergency surgery for those whose lives have been shattered and financially and emotionally impacted due to the government’s handling of the pandemic. have been freed from. and their losses,” Urquiza said in a statement Rolling stone, “Without timelines, staffing, budget and community-backed policy recommendations, these reports read like a modern day Yellow Pages.”
Although, at this stage, these strategies are not comprehensive, people living with a long covid may see them as a promising development. “These preliminary reports are an important step as HHS continues to accelerate research and programmatic support to address the consequences of the pandemic and to ensure that no one is left behind as we continue to build a healthier future. are,” Levine said. HHS. statement of,
At this level, it is It’s hard to know how many people Currently living with post-viral illness, but HHS estimates indicate that between 7.7 and 23 million Americans have developed chronic Covid. Of those, about a million people could be out of the workforce at any given time as a result of that situation, the department notes. approximately $50 billion in lost earnings every year.
While the Services report details the resources, programs and support available to Long COVID and their caregivers, it also addresses other long-term effects of the pandemic that can affect anyone, even if they themselves be covid-19. , In particular, one of the first sections of the report discusses disconnectionby accepting individual and collective grief The country has experienced the pandemic that has already resulted over a million deaths, The report also includes a list of resources for people who are facing mental health or substance abuse challenges as a result of the stresses of life during the pandemic.
Having an office dedicated to long covid affects the situation not only because of the number of people, but also because both preliminary research And this lived experience Among those who develop long covid after being infected in the early spring of 2020 indicate that symptoms can last for at least two years.
The long lasting covid and the myriad problems it creates are not going away. And though it remains to be seen whether the new HHS Long Covid office will turn words into actions, now, there are at least some signs that the administration is in it for the long haul as well.
