Long-term COVID disability: What to know

Over the last few years, many people have contracted the virus SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19. Only fairly recently have experts begun to understand its long-term effects on the body.

Experts define someone as experiencing long-haul COVID-19 — also just called long COVID — when their symptoms last 3 months or longer after they contract the virus. In general, long COVID symptoms are the same ones that you may experience while you have COVID, but they may also include others.

Today, long COVID is classified as a disability in the United States government, and you may be entitled to resources or support if you have it. You can reach out to a healthcare professional for help.

What is long-term COVID-19?

Long-term COVID is when you experience the after-effects of a SARS-CoV-2 infection for months or even years after you initially contract the virus and develop COVID-19. Long COVID can even happen in individuals who previously were asymptomatic, meaning they did not notice any COVID-19 symptoms despite having contracted the virus.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), around 1 in 13 adults in the United States have reported experiencing long COVID symptoms lasting at least 3 months. Some people may experience long-term disability, meaning they need extra support.

People report symptoms of long-term COVID across every part of the body, with symptoms often compared with those of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).

According to the CDC, some common long-term COVID-19 symptoms include:

• dizziness
• post-exertion malaise (tiredness)
• chest pain
• changes in the menstrual cycle
• joint pain
• muscle pain
• difficulty breathing and shortness of breath

A 2021 study from Italy found that over 50% of people receiving hospital treatment for COVID-19 still experienced issues with their respiratory system or general function 4 months after they left the hospital.

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Support available

If you are experiencing long COVID that is affecting your ability to function or go to work, help is available. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services now recognizes long-term COVID as a disability.

This means that you can access resources under the Americans with Disabilities Act and will have access to the same protections as anyone else with a condition considered a disability. These can include but are not limited to:

• receiving additional time for an exam, for example, if you have brain fog
• assistance refueling at a gas station, for example, if you experience severe joint pain
• receiving a service animal, for example, if you experience severe dizziness when standing

By law, employers need to provide reasonable accommodations to help you do your job, and they can’t discriminate against you or terminate you because of it. You should be able to request these accommodations without fear that you’ll lose your job.

You may also be able to access Social Security disability benefits. Reach out to a healthcare professional to get started on compiling the medical evidence you will likely need to provide.

If you think your symptoms of long-term COVID-19 may qualify as a disability, you can find out more information here.

Types of long COVID

After the pandemic, scientists began diving into long-term COVID-19 and the different symptoms people were experiencing.

From over 20,000 records, they tried to find patterns in the different symptoms following a SARS-CoV-2 infection. From this research, they found over 200 different possible symptoms of long-term COVID-19, which makes it difficult to determine exactly what long COVID is.

The researchers found that certain long COVID symptoms kept appearing together, which they broke into four main categories:

• Type 1: heart, kidney, and circulatory issues
• Type 2: lung conditions, sleep disorders, and anxiety
• Type 3: muscle pain, connective tissue disorders, and nervous system disorders
• Type 4: digestive and respiratory issues

Research from 2022 also notes how certain long-term COVID-19 symptoms were more common than others. The most common symptoms were respiratory concerns and anxiety, followed by heart and kidney problems.

There may be a link between long COVID and how severely you experienced the initial SARS-CoV-2 infection. For example, people who spent time in an intensive care unit while they had COVID were more likely to experience severe long-term COVID-19 symptoms, according to the 2022 research.

Another group of symptoms affects your whole body, which can feel similar to CFS. These symptoms include:

• lack of energy that stops daily functioning
• fatigue after nonstrenuous exercise
• fever and chills
• weakness
• restless leg syndrome
• insomnia
• daytime sleepiness

Management

At the moment, there is no cure for long-term COVID-19, and doctors are still learning how to manage its symptoms. However, researchers have identified some specific methods that hold promise.

These include:

Antihistamine treatment

Research from 2022 suggests that many people with long-term COVID-19 have a condition known as mast-cell activation syndrome. This is a disturbance in your immune system, causing excess inflammation.

Treatment using antihistamines like loratadine (Claritin) or cetirizine (Zyrtec) to reduce inflammation in the body has shown some success in reducing symptoms of long-term COVID-19.

Dietary supplements

Supplements like vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants are possible treatments for long-term COVID-19.

A study from 2021 shows how the plant extracts Panax ginseng and Eleutherococcus senticosus, which are commercially available under the name Apportal, may help reduce the symptoms of general and mental fatigue in people with long-term COVID-19.

Other medications

Some clinical trials are currently testing the effectiveness of the antidepressant medication vortioxetine (Trintellix) for reducing inflammation in people experiencing long COVID.

To help you manage your symptoms, a doctor can provide you with the right tools. No single medication or therapy is right for everyone, so the short-term treatments a doctor recommends will depend on your symptoms.

This is because the main technique that doctors use to manage symptoms of long COVID is treating the symptoms the same way they would in a person who was experiencing those symptoms but had not had COVID-19.

For example, if you are experiencing trouble breathing, a doctor will likely recommend physical rehabilitation to improve your respiratory function. They may also recommend medications like corticosteroids, such as ciclesonide (Alvesco), to assist in regaining strength in your lungs.

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Summary

Long-term COVID-19, or long COVID, is a new condition. Research is still underway, so we are learning more about it each year. The symptoms vary between individuals and can affect your daily life.

Treatment to manage your symptoms will depend on what you are experiencing, as doctors will likely recommend whatever treatment they typically prescribe. For example, if you have breathing difficulties, they may prescribe inhaled corticosteroids.

If your symptoms are affecting your daily functioning, you may qualify for assistance and resources, the same as anyone else with a disability.

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