NEW YORK (Washington Insider Magazine)- According to a report released this week by the Brookings Institution, up to 4 million Americans may be without a job as a result of the long Covid.
According to the report, it may result in lost wages of around $170 billion annually.
Prior to getting long Covid, 12 million Americans, according to federal data, worked full time or the equivalent of full-time hours. These individuals were the focus of the study.
From there, it calculated the number of people who were unemployed or working less hours due to ongoing health problems caused by a Covid infection. The Household Pulse Survey of the Census Bureau’s employed the following definition of long Covid: symptoms lasting 3 months or more that did not exist before to Covid.
The effect of long Covid on employment has been attempted to be measured by a number of surveys. As of mid-2021, according to a research paper from the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, 26% of those with lengthy Covid were unemployed or had cut back on their working hours. According to a global survey, as of 2020, 45% of persons with long COVID had decreased hours and 22% were unable to work due to their condition. Additionally, a U.K. poll revealed that between April and May 2021, 20% of individuals on paid sick leave and 16% of those with long Covid had decreased hours.
The Brookings analysis concluded that 2 million to 4 million Americans are working less or not at all as a result of their health.
The report’s author, Katie Bach, a nonresident senior fellow at Brookings, called the figure “shocking.”
Since symptoms can range widely and continue anywhere from months to years, Long Covid can be challenging to define. Brain fog, fatigue, muscular or joint pain, palpitations, chest pain, menstrual changes, and alterations in taste or smell perception are common symptoms of the condition. In the United States, 1 in 13 persons and 19% of those who have previously experienced COVID have long-lasting symptoms, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published in June.
According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), long Covid is regarded as a disability in the US if it significantly restricts one or more key living activities, including the capacity to work.
However, according to Bach, not all employers and employees are aware of the need to provide disability payments to those with long Covid.
Even with adjustments from employers, those with long Covid may find it difficult to keep their jobs, she continued.
The report recommended research into possible courses of treatment that would assist patients in lessening their protracted Covid symptoms. For the time being, some patients visit clinics for supportive treatment including physical therapy or breathing exercises.
Additionally, according to Bach, there is a need for new or improved methods to stop people from ever contracting Covid. Although some estimates are higher, a research released in May revealed that existing Covid vaccinations may only lower the incidence of long Covid by about 15%.
