Millions of Americans are experiencing the mysterious post–COVID-19 infection syndrome known as long COVID. President Joe Biden pledged Tuesday (April 5) in a presidential memorandum to increase support for patients, including bolstering insurance coverage and accelerating federal research into the underlying causes in the hopes of providing some relief.
“This is the first effort that truly comports with the needs of people who are suffering,” Diana Berrent, founder of the long COVID support group Survivor Corps, tells the Associated Press.
In the memorandum, Biden called on the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to “coordinate a new effort across the federal government to develop and issue the first-ever interagency national research action plan on Long COVID,” according to a White House fact sheet. The plan must include expanding the large NIH study already underway, and “will advance progress in prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and provision of services, ...
