NEWS: Chairman Bernie Sanders Releases Long COVID Moonshot Legislative Proposal

[SNT Gatchaman]

In "Sec. 499B. Establishment Of Long Covid Research Program" of the Bill (PDF) —

‘‘(b)
DIRECTOR.—
‘‘(1) APPOINTMENT.—
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Program shall be headed by a Director, appointed by the Secretary, in consultation with the Director of NIH, who has—

...

‘‘(ii) demonstrated commitment to addressing Long COVID and other infection-associated chronic conditions, such as myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, and post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome/persistent Lyme disease.

 

[SNT Gatchaman]

Also —

‘‘(b) REQUIREMENTS FOR MAKING EXTERNAL FUNDING AVAILABLE.—With respect to programs of grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements described in subsection (a), the Director of NIH shall—

...

‘‘(4) consider research that includes patients with other infection-associated chronic conditions with similar phenotypes, such as myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, and post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome/persistent Lyme disease.

 

[SNT Gatchaman]

‘‘(5) conduct comparative research to understand the similarities and differences between Long COVID and other infection-associated chronic conditions with similar phenotypes, such as myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, and post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome/persistent Lyme disease, and how activities funded by the Program could improve understanding of such other conditions; and

‘‘(6) conduct comparative research to understand the similarities and differences between Long COVID and severe, long-term effects from COVID–19 vaccinations.

 

[Kitty]

I really hope they don't put some utter eejit in charge of it if it passes.

 

[FMMM1]

I really hope they don't put some utter eejit in charge of it if it passes.

I assumed that it had passed - dah ---it's a Bill therefore it hasn't passed (it becomes an Act when/if it's passed).

 

[Andy]

Previously discussed here, NEWS: Chairman Bernie Sanders Releases Long COVID Moonshot Legislative Proposal

 

[Dakota15]

Op-Ed by Senator Sanders

Daily Beast: "Bernie Sanders: America Must Confront Its Long COVID Crisis”

Excerpts: 'Long COVID is real. It is negatively impacting tens of millions of people throughout the United States and the world. We can no longer ignore it, or its sufferers’ treatment needs.’

'As the chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee (HELP Committee), I have heard from Americans of all ages about their struggles with Long COVID and the challenges they face are absolutely heartbreaking.’

''Far too many people with Long COVID have found themselves stuck at home, unable to socialize, unable to work, unable to spend quality time with their families, unable to get out of bed and desperate for help. That is unacceptable and that has got to change.'

'Earlier this year, I chaired a hearing on the Long COVID crisis. It made me more determined than ever to address this ongoing public health emergency. This escalating danger, particularly for those who have suffered repeated infections, poses a severe threat to public health that demands our immediate and focused attention.’

'Let’s be clear. The impact of long COVID-19 is not just a health issue. It’s an economic one as well. It’s estimated that as many as 4 million Americans are out of work due to long COVID-19. The annual cost of those lost wages alone is about $170 billion a year.’

'It means we need to educate medical professionals on how to adequately diagnose Long COVID, better understand the risks associated with it, and identify potential therapeutic options. This crisis is made even worse by the fact that Long COVID patients often require multiple specialists to treat their complex systems.’

'Importantly, this bill will give patients, researchers, and advocates a seat at the table to determine how these funds are spent.’
"The fight against Long COVID is not just a medical challenge. It is a moral one."

"We can no longer turn our backs on the tens of millions of people in America and throughout the world who continue to struggle with Long COVID or the millions more who may contract it in the future. Yes. The time has come for a Long COVID Moonshot."

 

[SNT Gatchaman]

Mother Jones: Rep. Ilhan Omar to Introduce Major Long Covid Bill

On Friday, Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) will introduce a potentially groundbreaking piece of federal legislation in the House of Representatives—one allocating $10 billion in funding to fight Long Covid, the increasingly widespread, chronic condition that follows many Covid infections. The Long Covid Research Moonshot Act is a companion bill to one that Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) introduced in the Senate in August.

The Long Covid Research Moonshot Act would establish a new research program within the National Institutes of Health to better understand the condition (and others, like ME/CFS and POTS) with its own database, advisory board, and a new grant process to accelerate clinical trials.

“We know that the only path forward out of this generational crisis is to fund research that builds on our expertise about infection-associated chronic conditions like ME/CFS, and that is accountable to the patient community for delivering results, including clinical trials,” said Laurie Jones, executive director of patient advocacy group #MEAction. “The Long Covid Research Moonshot Act lays out a comprehensive plan for doing just that.”

“We must take bold action to help Americans suffering from Long Covid,” Omar said in her statement.