On Nov. 21, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a report detailing patients’ experiences with Long COVID entitled “The Health+ Long COVID Report.” A press release announcing the report explains that the report aims to better understand the complexities of COVID and to improve responses by government leaders, clinicians, and patient advocates.
The release states that “Long COVID is a set of conditions. Researchers have cataloged more than 50 conditions linked to Long COVID that impact nearly every organ system. Estimates vary, but research suggests that between 5 percent and 30 percent of those who had COVID-19 may have Long COVID symptoms, and roughly one million people are out of the workforce at any given time due to Long COVID. This figure equates to approximately $50 billion annually in lost salaries.”
The report, according to the release, builds on the “President’s Memorandum on Addressing the Long-Term Effects of COVID-19” and two reports that were already issued by HHS. The report was commissioned by HHS and produced by Washington, D.C.-based Coforma, a third-party design and research agency.
“Last week, the Administration sent a $750 million-dollar supplemental funding request to Congress to support Long COVID research and treatment,” the release notes. “This funding request would support HHS and their continued work on Long COVID, providers who serve patients with Long COVID and its associated conditions, and community-based organizations that assist with case management and provide other essential services and supports. By developing a wrap-around response this funding will assist in answering the report’s call to action.”
The report is based on more than 1,000 hours of interviews, workshops, and human-centered design research with the public. The press release explains that human-centered design was used because it puts people as active participants in their own research and treats the patient as an expert regarding their own challenges as well as incorporating their viewpoints into the social, public health, and economic solutions created to support the Long COVID community.
The release comments, “The report offers a variety of short-term and longer-term recommendations that come directly from the patient experience. For example, healthcare providers should develop and share materials about Long COVID to educate patients and their loved ones. Insurance providers should update plan guidelines that align coverage with medical treatments that improve health outcomes for people with Long COVID. Educators and employers should support accommodations for people living with Long COVID that allow them to continue to work and study. Federal agencies should disseminate Long COVID messaging to let people know Long COVID is real and is a serious public health issue.”
Adm Rachel Levine, M.D., Assistant Secretary for Health was quoted in the release saying that “Listening to and learning from the experiences of Long COVID patients is essential to accelerating understanding and breakthroughs. ‘The Health+ Long COVID Report’ is evidence of our commitment to engaging communities to provide patient-led solutions.”
