President Joe Biden’s administration announced the formation of a new office on Monday that will focus on researching the symptoms that remain after an initial COVID-19 infection.
The Office of Long COVID Research and Practice was established by the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and will be accompanied by the launch of new long COVID studies run by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), said federal officials.
Some estimates believe long COVID could affect between 7.7 million and 23 million people in the U.S., representing a stark health crisis within the country and underscoring the need for an expansion of research to better understand the impacts of the disease’s lingering effects.
“As our nation continues to make strides in combating COVID-19, it is crucial that we address the impact of Long COVID and provide resources to those in need,” said HHS Secretary Becerra. “Last year President Biden called on HHS to coordinate the response to Long COVID. The official establishment of the Long COVID Coordinating office and the launch of the RECOVER clinical trials solidifies this issue as an ongoing priority.”
The new office will aim to coordinate government response to the longer-lasting effects of COVID-19, bringing together more than a dozen federal departments. It will operate as the NIH’s $1.15 billion iovascular and immune systems.
The long-term symptoms have been tied to more than 3,500 deaths, though the actual toll to the persistent health problem is likely to be far higher. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) previously said four in every five Americans who suffer long COVID have reported at least some difficulty in carrying out daily tasks.
The new office will aim to coordinate government response to the longer-lasting effects of COVID-19, bringing together more than one dozen federal departments. It will operate as the NIH’s $1.15 billion RECOVER project proceeds amid frustration from patients who…
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