Workers’ Compensation Benefits for Long COVID

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• Machine-learning models may detect patients at risk for long COVID-19Machine-learning models created by a National Institutes of Health (NIH)-supported research team can identify, with high accuracy, patients likely to have long COVID, according to a study yesterday in The Lancet Digital Health.
• Pain, Breathing Difficulties and Hyperlipidemia among the Most Common Post-COVID Conditions across All AgesMany patients recover from COVID-19 within a few weeks, but some exhibit persistent or new symptoms more than four weeks after first being diagnosed.
• 66 hospitals, health systems that have launched post-COVID-19 clinics 2/9/2022Many hospitals and health systems have created COVID-19 recovery programs, or post-COVID clinics, to support patients who experience lingering symptoms weeks or months after being cleared of the illness — a population now widely known as COVID-19 long-haulers.
• How Long Covid Exhausts the BodyMillions of people continue to suffer from exhaustion, cognitive problems and other long-lasting symptoms after a coronavirus infection. The exact causes of the illness, known as long Covid, are not known. But new research offers clues, describing the toll the illness takes on the body and why it can be so debilitating.
• Is the workers' compensation system ready for the COVID-19 [coronavirus] virus? Live UpdatesThe enormity of a COVID-19 [coronavirus] virus pandemic presents a new and novel challenge to the system and one that must be considered by both Federal and State planners. Workers’ Compensation programs have adapted to emergencies before, including natural disasters and terrorist attacks. The urgency of the situation requires that the system be prepared now.
• US Government Accounting Office Report on Long COVIDPeople with long COVID might leave the workforce, causing them to lose wages and employer-based health insurance. This could affect the broader U.S. economy through decreased labor participation and an increased need for use of SSDI or other publicly subsidized insurance.
• Over 75 Percent of Long Covid Patients Were Not Hospitalized for Initial Illness, Study FindsMore than three-quarters of Americans diagnosed with long Covid were not sick enough to be hospitalized for their initial infection, a new analysis of tens of thousands of private insurance claims reported.
• COVID‐19 as an occupational diseaseThe health implications of COVID‐19 for the global workforce are multifaceted and complex, warranting careful reflection and consideration to mitigate the adverse effects on workers worldwide.
• COVID Boosters: What Employees and Employers Need to KnowMany employers and state governments are mandating that employees be vaccinated against COVID. Confusion remains over the rapidly changing landscape of booster doses as reports of waning or compromised immunity even though a worker is considered “fully vaccinated” when the original series of doses are completed.
• Reduced Exercise Capacity, Chronotropic Incompetence, Inflammation and Symptoms in Post-Acute COVID-19 5/19/2022Reduced exercise capacity and reduced heart rate response to exercise, and hsCRP are associated with persistent cardiopulmonary symptoms more than 1 year following COVID-19. Chronic inflammation and autonomic dysfunction may underlie cardiopulmonary PASC.
• RECOVER: Researching COVID to Enhance RecoveryLong-term effects of COVID may be different for everyone and they can affect many different parts of the body, such as the brain, heart, and lungs. And people who have PASC, including Long COVID, can have different kinds of effects. These effects may come and go, and they may last for a few weeks, a few months, or longer.
• Post–COVID Conditions Among Adult COVID-19 SurvivorsCOVID-19 survivors have twice the risk for developing pulmonary embolism or respiratory conditions; one in five COVID-19 survivors aged 18–64 years and one in four survivors aged ≥65 years experienced at least one incident condition that might be attributable to the previous COVID-19.
• A Longitudinal Study of COVID-19 Sequelae and Immunity: Baseline FindingsIncreased risk for PASC was noted in women and those with a history of anxiety disorder.
• Can long Covid lead to death? A new analysis suggests it couldThe review at the CDC, the details of which POLITICO obtained, is the first of its kind and indicates that long Covid and the health complications associated with it could lead to death. NCHS is set to publish preliminary data from its analysis in the coming days.
• A glimpse into long COVID and symptomsA shift to remote work may exacerbate long COVID symptoms.
• Long COVID ICD-10 Diagnostic Code UpdateICD-10-CM Codes › U00-U85 Codes for special purposes › U00-U49 Provisional assignment of new diseases of uncertain etiology or emergency use › U09- Post COVID-19 condition › 2022 ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Code U09.9
• The effects of contracting Covid‐19 on cognitive failures at work: implications for task performance and turnover intentionsIndividuals who contract Covid‐19 often experience problems with memory, attention, and concentration, even after recovering from the initial illness. In the current manuscript, we argue that these symptoms are likely to manifest as cognitive failures in the workplace.
• Longitudinal evaluation of neurologic-post acute sequelae SARS-CoV-2 infection symptomsA new study offers scientific evidence supporting permanent neurological disability flowing from an occupational COVID-19 condition. Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine are conducting a longitudinal study to track neurological symptoms in COVID-19 “long-haulers.”
• How to get treated for long COVID in NY and NJLong haulers, like many people with chronic disease, will likely face the challenge at some point during their care of proving their “medical necessity.”
• World Health Organization definition of Long CovidMost people who develop COVID-19 fully recover, but current evidence suggests approximately 10%-20% of people experience a variety of mid- and long-term effects after they recover from their initial illness. These mid- and long-term effects are collectively known as post COVID-19 condition or “long COVID.”
• Persistent circulating SARS-CoV-2 spike is associated with post-acute COVID-19 sequelaePossible blood bio-marker identified for Long COVID
• Symptoms and risk factors for long COVID in non-hospitalized adultsSARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with a plethora of symptoms, including hair loss and sexual dysfunction, that are associated with a range of sociodemographic and clinical risk factors.
• Smell and taste dysfunction after covid-19 7/27/2022The covid-19 pandemic has put both smell and taste disturbances in the spotlight because of the functional impact and severe distress caused by the loss of these senses, their fundamental diagnostic value,2 and, more recently, the high rate of long term dysfunction.
• Long-COVID treatments: why the world is still waiting After a slow start, researchers are beginning to test ways to combat the lasting symptoms of the disease. Nature 8/9/2022Until results from trials such as these are in, physicians and people with long COVID will continue to experiment with combinations of pharmaceuticals and rehabilitation therapies.
• Neurological and psychiatric risk trajectories after SARS-CoV-2 infection: an analysis of 2-year retrospective cohort studies including 1 284 437 patients Lancet Psychiatric 08/17/2022Adults who contracted COVID-19 suffered increased risks of ischaemic stroke, epilepsy or seizures, cognitive deficit (known as brain fog), insomnia, and anxiety disorders were observed, compounded by an increased death rate.
• We’re starting to understand long COVID. Next we can fight itToo many people are indeed living with chronic COVID, detracting from their daily lives. As we eventually emerge from this pandemic, long COVID will be the enduring, major public health complication that we failed to address in a timely and aggressive manner. It’s not too late to invest in understanding and combating it.
• Long-term cardiac pathology in individuals with mild initial COVID-19 illness (Nature) 9/5/2022Cardiac symptoms are increasingly recognized as late complications of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in previously well individuals with mild initial illness.
• Distinguishing features of Long COVID identified through immune profiling. Analysis of circulating immune mediators and various hormones also revealed pronounced differences, with levels of cortisol being uniformly lower among participants with Long COVID relative to matched control groups. Integration of immune phenotyping data into unbiased machine learning models identified significant distinguishing features critical in accurate classification of Long COVID, with decreased levels of cortisol being the most significant individual predictor. These findings will help
• Is Workers' Compensation Ready for Infectious Disease? Pandemic Preparedness will be an enormous factor in workers' compensation going forward.
• Increased levels of inflammatory molecules in blood of Long COVID patients point to thrombotic endotheliiti"We conclude that presence of microclotting, together with relatively high levels of six inflammatory molecules known to be key drivers of endothelial and clotting pathology, points to thrombotic endotheliitis as a key pathological process in Long COVID."
• Long COVID or Post-COVID ConditionsSome people who have been infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 can experience long-term effects from their infection, known as post-COVID conditions (PCC) or long COVID.
• New data shows long Covid is keeping as many as 4 million people out of workIn January 2022, Brookings Metro published a report that assessed the impact of long Covid on the labor market. Data on the condition’s prevalence was limited, so the report used various studies to make a conservative estimate: 1.6 million full-time equivalent workers could be out of work due to long Covid. With 10.6 million unfilled jobs at the time, long Covid potentially accounted for 15% of the labor shortage.
• US HHS Guidance on “Long COVID” as a Disability Under the ADA, Section 504, and Section 1557This guidance explains that long COVID can be a disability under Titles II (state and local government) and III (public accommodations) of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA),3 Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504),4 and Section 1557 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Section 1557).5 Each of these federal laws protects people with disabilities from discrimination.6 This guidance also provides resources for additional information and best practice
• US Office of Disability Employment Policy Coronavirus Resourceshe U.S. Department of Labor is committed to ensuring equitable access to the health and safety of America's workers and providing resources to respond to and recover from the Coronavirus pandemic.
• SARS-CoV-2 promotes microglial synapse elimination in human brain organoids 10/5/2022Our results reveal that brain organoids infected with SARS-CoV-2 display disruption in circuit integrity via microglia-mediated synapse elimination and identifies a potential novel mechanism contributing to cognitive impairments in patients recovering from COVID-19.
• "What now?": Long COVID as a potential disability and its effects on workers 12/07/2022The impacts of long COVID are not limited to the personal lives and health of affected individuals, who often work reduced hours or are unable to work due to their condition.
• Cardiology: The risks of POTS after COVID-19 vaccination and SARS-CoV-2 infection: it’s worth a shot 12/12/2022Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) can follow COVID-19 as part of the post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection, but it can also develop after COVID-19 vaccination. A new study shows that the rate of new-onset POTS diagnoses is slightly increased after COVID-19 vaccination, but is five times lower than the rate of POTS diagnoses after SARS-CoV-2 infection.
• How Long Covid Exhausts the Body-NYTimesMillions of people continue to suffer from exhaustion, cognitive problems and other long-lasting symptoms after a coronavirus infection. The exact causes of the illness, known as long Covid, are not known. But new research offers clues, describing the toll the illness takes on the body and why it can be so debilitating.
• Is the workers' compensation system ready for the COVID-19 [coronavirus] virus? Live UpdatesIt seems that every decade a new pandemic emerges on the world scene, and complacency continues to exist in the workers’ compensation arena to meet the emerging challenges of infectious disease.
• Study: Long COVID kept people out of work for months 1/25/23People experiencing long COVID were more likely to be unable to return to work for weeks because of their symptoms or continued to receive medical treatment for their infection after they returned to work, according to a study published on Tuesday by the state’s largest workers’ compensation insurer.
• CDC-NCHS Household Survey of Long Covidcensus experimental data As part of an ongoing partnership with the Census Bureau, the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) recently added questions to assess the prevalence of post-COVID-19 conditions (long COVID), on the experimental Household Pulse Survey. This 20-minute online survey was designed to complement the ability of the federal statistical system to rapidly respond and provide relevant information about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S. Data collection began
• Multi-organ impairment and long COVID: a 1-year prospective, longitudinal cohort studyOrgan impairment persisted in 59% of 331 individuals followed up at 1 year post COVID-19, with implications for symptoms, quality of life and longer-term health, signalling the need for prevention and integrated care of long COVID.
• Heart attacks and strokes late after Covid The body of evidence expandsThe finding of excess major cardiovascular outcomes during the Covid pandemic is highly consistent with a report this week in Nature Cardiovascular Research on the whole United States population through March 2022.
• Guidance for Certifying Deaths Due to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)When a death is due to COVID-19, it is likely the UCOD and thus, it should be reported on the lowest line used in Part I of the death certificate. Ideally, testing for COVID-19 should be conducted, but it is acceptable to report COVID-19 on a death certificate without this confirmation if the circumstances are compelling within a reasonable degree of certainty.
• Long COVID symptoms keeping many Americans from returning to workThree years after the start of the pandemic, some 16 million Americans have long COVID, meaning their symptoms continue well after the initial infection. An estimated 4 million people say long COVID has significantly reduced their ability to carry out day-to-day activities. For many of them, that includes their jobs. Economics Correspondent Paul Solman has the story.
• Risk of post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection associated with pre-coronavirus disease obstructive sleep apnea diagnoses: an electronic health record-based analysis from the RECOVER initiative Adults with preexisting OSA were found to have significantly elevated odds of probable PASC.
• US EEOC - Updated Guidance About COVID-19 5-15-2023What You Should Know About COVID-19 and the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and Other EEO Laws
• The Patient-Led Research CollaborativeThe Patient-Led Research Collaborative is a group of Long COVID patients who are also researchers. We were born out of the Body Politic Slack support group and did the first research on Long COVID in April 2020. We are all researchers in relevant fields – biomedical research, participatory research, neuroscience, cognitive science, public policy, machine learning, human-centered design, health activism – in addition to having intimate knowledge of COVID-19.
• Long COVID: major findings, mechanisms and recommendationsMore than 200 symptoms have been identified with impacts on multiple organ systems. At least 65 million individuals worldwide are estimated to have long COVID, with cases increasing daily. Biomedical research has made substantial progress in identifying various pathophysiological changes and risk factors and in characterizing the illness; further, similarities with other viral-onset illnesses such as myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome
• What the latest research tells us about long COVID’s most common symptoms 06-13-2023More than three years into the pandemic, physicians and researchers are still struggling to understand long COVID. A recent study at Mass General Brigham has tried to take a step toward defining the condition affecting millions of people. PBS NewsHour digital health reporter Laura Santhanam joins John Yang to discuss the findings
• Postacute sequelae of COVID-19 at 2 yearsMore than 3 years after the onset of the COVID-19 global pandemic, a wave of evidence suggests that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection can lead to postacute sequelae in pulmonary and broad array of extrapulmonary organ systems—including increased risks and burdens of cardiovascular disorders, neurologic and mental health disorders, metabolic disorders (diabetes and dyslipidemia), kidney disorders and gastrointestinal disorders.
• The Long Legacy of COVID-19 DisabilityThe legacy of the COVID-19 pandemic persists. There exists a continuing need for long-term treatment and disability. While state benefit systems such as workers’ compensation have made an admirable attempt in many jurisdictions to provide benefits, a significant gap and non-uniform delivery of benefits continue to exist among jurisdictions. Federal efforts are expanding to provide necessary research and treatment protocol resources.
• Serotonin reduction in post-acute sequelae of viral infectionPost-viral syndromes arise in a subset of individuals and can persist for months to years after disease onset. The accompanying symptoms are diverse and often include fatigue, post-exertional malaise, memory loss, and other neurocognitive impairments.
• NVSS-Identification of Deaths With Post-acute Sequelae of COVID-19 From Death Certificate Literal Text: United States, January 1, 2020–June 30, 2022More Than 3,500 Americans Have Died from Long COVID-Related Illness in the First 30 Months of the Pandemic
• Study describes clinical features that may lead to long COVIDA study published in Nature Communications describes features of the acute phase of COVID-19 infection seen in patients who later developed long COVID, and a second study in the same journal suggests that long-COVID fatigue is linked to changes to the mitochondria in muscle cells.
• Persistent complement dysregulation with signs of thromboinflammation in active Long Covid 19 Jan 2024 At the cellular level, Long Covid was linked to aggregates comprising monocytes and platelets. These findings provide a resource of potential biomarkers for diagnosis and may inform directions for treatments
• Post-COVID cognitive deficits at one year are global and associated with elevated brain injury markers and grey matter volume reduction: national prospective study 5 Jan 2024The cognitive deficits were marked and equivalent to the impact of 20-years of aging.
• Testimony of Ziyad Al-Aly, M.D. Clinical Epidemiologist Washington University in Saint Louis, Saint Louis, MO US Senate 1-19-2024Recovery rates for many of the components of Long Covid are low. Some conditions that develop after COVID (e.g. heart disease, diabetes, etc.) are chronic conditions that last a lifetime. Some conditions including fatigue and brain fog seem to improve in a small fraction of people with Long Covid.
• Cognitive Symptoms of Post–COVID-19 Condition and Daily Functioning 2/14/2024The findings of this survey study of US adults suggest that cognitive symptoms are common among individuals with post–COVID-19 condition and associated with greater self-reported functional impairment, lesser likelihood of full-time employment, and greater depressive symptom severity. Screening for and addressing cognitive symptoms is an important component of the public health response to post–COVID-19 condition.
• Solving the puzzle of Long Covid 2-23-2024More than 4 years into the global COVID-19 pandemic, widespread infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARSCoV-2) has left millions of people around the world with Long Covid, which describes the constellation of post-acute and long-term adverse health effects caused by the infection.
• Blood Test Could Predict Long-Term COVID-19 Lung ProblemsUVA Health researchers have discovered a potential way to predict which patients with severe COVID-19 are likely to recover well and which are likely to suffer “long-haul” lung problems. That finding could help doctors better personalize treatments for individual patients.
• Ophthalmic Manifestations of COVID-19: A Retrospective Study on Prevalence, Characteristics, and Clinical ImplicationsOphthalmic manifestations are prevalent in COVID-19 patients, particularly in those with severe illness and systemic symptoms. The study highlights the importance of recognizing and managing ocular symptoms in affected individuals and underscores the multifaceted nature of COVID-19, necessitating interdisciplinary collaboration for comprehensive patient care.
• Long-Term Health Effects of COVID-19 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024.Infection with SARS-CoV-2 can trigger health effects that can continue well after resolution of the initial COVID-19 illness. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Long-Term Health Effects of COVID-19: Disability and Function Following SARS-CoV-2 Infection. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/27756.
• Evidence-Based Approach to Long Covid, or PASC, Reveals Growing Potential for Interventions and Therapeutics Several evidence-based interventions to offer patients. It is expected that this growing understanding of the mechanisms driving PASC and the benefits seen with certain therapeutics may not only lead to better outcomes for those with PASC but may also have the potential for understanding and treating other postinfectious sequelae.
• Long COVID and Significant Long COVID–Associated Activity Limitation Among Adults, by Jurisdiction — United States, 2023One in four U.S. adults with Long COVID report significant activity limitations
• New Onset of Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes Post-COVID-19 Infection: A Systematic ReviewCOVID-19 may primarily cause respiratory symptoms but can lead to long-term effects known as long COVID. COVID-19-induced diabetes mellitus was reported in many patients which shares characteristics of types 1 and 2 (T1DM and T2DM). This study aims to identify and analyze the reported cases of new onset diabetes post-COVID-19 infection
• Long COVID Symptoms? Get Help Now!Our mission is to provide comprehensive education and resources to the public and medical professionals on identifying, managing, and relieving symptoms of long COVID. We collaborate with leading scientists, doctors, and long-haulers to offer evidence-based insights, innovative strategies, and compassionate support
• COVID-19 Claims: Work-Related?In West Virginia, a workers' compensation claim for COVID-19 can be considered compensable even if the disease is common outside of work, as long as the claimant can prove it was contracted in the course of and resulted from their employment.