At the start of the pandemic, we launched our #StopRestPace campaign to educate clinicians and the Long COVID community about the importance of pacing. We are working hard to ensure that NIH’s RECOVER program – a $1.15 billion research fund for Long COVID – builds on existing research and expertise about ME/CFS. We merged forces with the Long COVID advocacy group, Body Politic, to continue its vital advocacy – most recently, activists from this space have been working hard on our community care programs to ensure people with Long COVID and ME have access to resources on the state level. Most recently, we have been fighting to protect the Long COVID Advisory Committee at HHS, which was recently dismantled.
Today is Long COVID Awareness day, and we want to lift up the importance of Long COVID advocacy. We ask you to share this video created by #MEAction volunteers today.
…and check out other organizations that fight for Long COVID day in and day out including: Black Long COVID Experience, COVID-19 Longhaulers Advocacy Project, Long COVID Families and Patient-led Research Collaborative, among others! Share information, check out these groups, donate today! Long COVID research care and treatments matter for everyone.
What we know about Long COVID:
- Approximately half of the Long COVID population meets the diagnostic criteria for ME/CFS at six months – there are now as many as 10 million people living with ME/CFS in the U.S.
- 20 million Americans have been diagnosed with Long COVID in the US, and around 400 million individuals globally.
- Black and Hispanic Americans appear to experience more health problems related to Long COVID than white people, but are not as likely to be diagnosed with the condition.
We are thankful for all of the people in our community who have been here long before Long COVID and for those who have joined us these past five years. We are united by our common goals of supporting people with infectious-associated disease and disability. We honor you all and your continued fight.
