United States: Government Memorandum on Addressing the Long-Term Effects of COVID-19

[Laurie P]

copied post

https://abcnews.go.com/Health/government-reports-long-covid-lay-existing/story?id=87824116

New government reports on long COVID lay out existing help, what more should be done

ABC News spoke with Dr. Rachel Levine, the top HHS official leading the effort.


The federal government took an initial step forward in its response to long COVID-19 Wednesday, releasing two reports that compile what federally-funded services are available to people already suffering from the condition, and what research efforts are still needed to better understand how to address it.

"These are initial reports. They're a significant step, but they're one step," said Dr. Rachel Levine, the U.S. assistant secretary for health for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in an interview with ABC News.

"And the work begins tomorrow, as we work on the implementation of the recommendations to the report moving forward," Levine said.

The reports stemmed from a presidential memorandum issued by President Joe Biden in April, which created an interagency task force on long COVID headed up by HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra and Levine, who will now oversee a new office specifically focused on long COVID at the department.

The HHS Office of Long COVID Research and Practice "will be charged with the implementation" of both plans produced by HHS and updating both regularly -- but doing so will hinge on funding for staff and operations in the next annual budget.

https://www.covid.gov/longcovid

Read the Memorandum on Addressing the Long-Term Effects of COVID-19.

Read the White House Fact Sheet on the Biden Administration efforts on Long COVID.

There are also additional links under the headings:

SERVICES AND SUPPORTS FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING LONG COVID

LONG COVID RESEARCH

 

[Hutan]

Seems pretty significant in terms of recognising there is a problem.

From the memorandum:

At the same time, many of our family members, neighbors, and friends continue to experience negative long-term effects of COVID-19. Many individuals report debilitating, long-lasting effects of having been infected with COVID-19, often called “long COVID.” These symptoms can happen to anyone who has had COVID-19 — including individuals across ages, races, genders, and ethnicities; individuals with or without disabilities; individuals with or without underlying health conditions; and individuals whether or not they had initial symptoms. Individuals experiencing long COVID report experiencing new or recurrent symptoms, which can include anxiety and depression, fatigue, shortness of breath, difficulty concentrating, heart palpitations, disordered sleep, chest and joint pain, headaches, and other symptoms. These symptoms can persist long after the acute COVID-19 infection has resolved. Even young people and otherwise healthy people have reported long COVID symptoms that last for many months. These symptoms may be affecting individuals’ ability to work, conduct daily activities, engage in educational activities, and participate in their communities.

Our world-class research and public health organizations have begun the difficult work of understanding these new conditions, their causes, and potential prevention and treatment options. Our health care and support programs are working to help meet the needs of individuals experiencing the lasting effects of COVID-19. To organize the Federal Government’s response, executive departments and agencies (agencies) must work together to use the expertise, resources, and benefit programs of the Federal Government to ensure that we are accelerating scientific progress and providing individuals with the support and services they need.

It's a shame the first two symptoms of Long Covid are anxiety and depression though. And that Long Covid is seen as a 'new condition'.

In addition, the American public is grappling with a mental health crisis exacerbated by the pandemic. Too many have felt the effects of social isolation, sickness, economic insecurity, increased caregiver burdens, and grief. My Administration has made significant investments in mental health as well as substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery support for the American public, including by expanding access to community-based behavioral health services. We are committed to advancing these behavioral health efforts in order to better identify the effects of the pandemic on mental health, substance use, and well-being, and to take steps to address these effects for the people we serve.

I guess it's good that the 'mental health crisis exacerbated by the pandemic' is seen as additional to Long Covid. But it's a shame the answer to 'the effects of social isolation, sickness, economic insecurity, increased caregiver burdens, and grief' is automatically seen to be an expansion of access to community-based behavioural health services. Because last time I looked, CBT sessions didn't do much for economic insecurity and increased caregiver burdens.

 

[rvallee]

The report was published yesterday. Haven't looked yet.

JUST RELEASED! The Health+ Long COVID Human-Centered Design Report combines 1000+ hours of interviews, workshops, and Human-Centered Design research with the public, especially patients living with #LongCOVID, who served as subject matter experts: http://bit.ly/3hYXWKu

Someone noticed, and I can confirm (check the PDF document properties), that this report repurposed a previous report on Lyme disease as template, showing how none of this is new.

It's such a well-documented issue that there are so many prior reports saying the exact same things (there is one from public health authorities in Quebec and who knows in how many healthcare systems), it's better to simply use them as a starting point. For a "brand new" and "unexpected" never-before-seen (as otherwise how can it be excused to miss it all over again?):

@WalkerBragman Someone repurposed a Lyme Disease study document and forgot to change the PDF file properties. https://t.co/cgOcfEB4Cn

Kind of fitting that it's about Lyme, which for some reason makes people more angry than they usually are with us, a solid lesson that this was never, ever, about not being able to research a specific pathogen, it was always a failure of will and basic professionalism.