U.S. lawmakers push to expand Long COVID treatment

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April 10, 2022.

A bill to increase funding for Long Covid treatment and clinics marks the latest push from lawmakers to confront chronic health problems related to the coronaviruses that affect millions of Americans.

The Treat Long Covid Act is a joint effort by Senator Tammy Duckworth, an Illinois Democrat, and Representative Ayanna Pressley, a Massachusetts Democrat. Federal support for Long Covid research, treatment and education has been involved in both of them.

President Joe Biden directed the Health and Human Services Secretary to create a research action plan for Long Covid. The bill would allow HHS to award grants of as much as $2 million for the creation or expansion of multidisciplinary clinics.

Pressley said there was no federal program that focused on expanding treatment options.

Their bill is intended to fix the lack of a centralized database on Long Covid centers.

Lawmakers clash over aid legislation and funding could be hard to come by. The Senate has yet to approve $10 billion of the Biden administration's proposal for extra coronaviruses.

If I don't have support now, I will eventually get it. If there is a vehicle that we can add to, we can move forward with the legislation. There is no pride in authorship here.

An assortment of symptoms can persist weeks, even months, after the initial infection has passed for patients with Long Covid. Researchers don't know what the condition is. The different health problems, from respiratory to gastrointestinal, often vary from patient to patient, and have made diagnosis, treatment and data collection a challenge.

Pressley said she has been told by dozens of people that their struggles go beyond physical ailments. Others have been unable to work or attend school.

She said that the Treat Long Covid Act was introduced so that the federal response would meet the extent of the hurt.

The bill would make sure that people are not denied treatment because of the method of diagnosis. Some people have been turned away because they couldn't provide a positive Covid test, even if they did get sick. It would ensure that grant recipients submit reports based on patient evaluations and that underserved communities are given priority in grant funding.

Biden asked for $20 million in his administration's budget request to set up new centers for excellence to research best treatment and care options for Long Covid patients.