WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – Senators in Washington are hearing from people affected by so-called “long Covid.”
It’s a condition seen in patients who report lasting impacts after a Covid-19 infection, like fatigue and brain fog.
Lawmakers are trying to understand more about long Covid and its potential impact on healthcare costs in the U.S.
“Before Covid, I was very healthy. I didn’t expect to have problems recovering,” said Rachel Beale, a long Covid patient.
On Capitol Hill Thursday, patients told lawmakers how their lives were upended by long Covid.
“I was a healthy runner for nearly two decades. What started as a mild illness progress over weeks with an increasingly scary set of symptoms,” said Angela Meriquez.
Lawmakers are trying to understand what causes long Covid, a series of lingering symptoms affecting a small number of Covid-19 patients.
“Congress I’m glad to say has put significant funding towards this. We gave the Department of Health and Human Services a billion dollars to study long Covid,” said Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-Tenn.)
Symptoms include brain fog, trouble concentrating, headaches and breathing problems.
According to the National Institutes of Health, the long-lasting symptoms have cost the U.S. around $336 billion since Covid arrived.
“The symptoms of long Covid are not minor inconveniences. They are debilitating conditions that affect the ability of people to work, to care for their families, and to live full lives,” said Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)
It’s unknown how many people suffer from long Covid. Congress already passed money in the Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness Act to help, but lawmakers say more needs to happen.
“Let’s get better research. Let’s do what we can so that those who have it, somehow, it does end,” said Cassidy.
So far, bipartisan legislation has been introduced to help people living with long Covid, but it hasn’t been passed.
