Two years after the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, there is still much to learn about the long-term effects of long COVID. Experts have released a new guidance report for diagnosing and treating long haulers.
Long COVID occurs in individuals who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and have at least one persistent symptom after acute illness. Symptoms of long COVID cause a range of adverse physical and psychological health effects for six months or more after initial recovery.
In May, the Biden administration announced the U.S. reached the 1 million mark in COVID deaths.
The long-term effects of COVID have also been financially debilitating. The Biden administration plans another extension of one of 2020’s aid bills that prohibits states from disenrolling Medicaid beneficiaries who become ineligible—only to those that die, opt out, or leave the state. The bill was to end by mid-July.
What are the new guidelines in diagnosing long COVID? What does rehabilitation look like for long COVID patients? How would someone know if they have long COVID?
Guests:
- Kathleen Bell, MD., neuro-rehabilitation specialist in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at UT Southwestern Medical Center.
- Jonathan H. Whiteson, M.D., FAAPMR, Vice Chair for Rusk Rehabilitation Clinical Operations and Medical Director, Cardiac Rehabilitation at New York University Langone Health
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*This interview was recorded on Thursday, June 9.