HHS tasked with coordinating federal response to long COVID-19

Editor's Note

In a briefing room release titled Memorandum on Addressing the Long-Term Effects of COVID-⁠19 published on April 5, President Joe Biden tasked Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra “to coordinate the federal response to the long-term health effects of COVID-19,” the American Hospital Association April 6 reports.

According to the memorandum, many individuals are reporting “debilitating, long-lasting effects of having been infected with COVID-19,” which has been dubbed as “long COVID-19.”  Symptoms, new or recurrent, seem to persist long after the acute COVID-19 infection has resolved and can include anxiety and depression, fatigue, shortness of breath, difficulty concentrating (dubbed “brain fog”), heart palpitations, disordered sleep, chest and joint pain, and headaches. Long COVID-19 may present in anyone who has been infected, even in young or otherwise healthy people. “These symptoms may be affecting individuals’ ability to work, conduct daily activities, engage in educational activities, and participate in their communities,” the memorandum noted.

President Biden further directed Secretary Becerra to report “within 120 days on federal services and supports available to help people experiencing long COVID-19 or pandemic-related mental health and substance use issues, especially in high-risk communities,” AHA reported. The directive also includes publishing a national research plan for long COVID-19 that builds on existing efforts to treat the condition.