In an effort to better support workers dealing with symptoms of long COVID, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Surgeon General are seeking public input on the condition.
Beginning July 12, the agencies are inviting the public to join a national online dialogue to gather ideas for supporting workers who have contracted long COVID, their co-workers and their employers.
1 in 5 exposed to COVID-19 could get long COVID
One in five people infected with COVID-19 in the U.S. may experience a wide range of symptoms that could last three or more months. Those symptoms include:
- shortness of breath
- fatigue
- brain fog
- heart palpitations
- headaches
- anxiety
- depression, and
- other symptoms.
Ongoing virtual crowdsourcing event
A virtual crowdsourcing event, “Understanding and Addressing the Workplace Challenges Related to Long COVID,” is where this national online dialogue will take place.
Participants are invited to submit ideas, share comments and show support for other participants’ ideas “they believe can help federal agencies identify and respond to long COVID’s workplace challenges, and help reduce the employment and financial impacts of the condition.”
The agencies are looking specifically for comment on the following areas:
- challenges workers face as they cope with symptoms
- support for workers with long COVID from their employers
- ways to inform workers and employers about long COVID
- organizations to engage to develop solutions for those affected by long COVID, and
- obstacles to obtaining disability benefits that workers with long COVID face.
More information about long COVID can be found on the CDC website and in Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy’s video answer to the question: “What is Long COVID and Who Can Get It?”
