The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the world in such an unprecedented manner that the ripple effects continue to be felt – including the prevalence of Long COVID, the chronic condition that can linger for weeks, months, or even years after COVID-19 infection.
In workers’ comp, data has shown that while Long COVID appears in few claims, it significantly impacts medical care and drives up costs. This is likely because Long COVID frequently stems from more intense cases of acute COVID-19 infection, and these claims last longer and require ongoing care as chronic symptoms resurface.
Low Prevalence, High Impact in Workers’ Comp
Among COVID claims in workers’ comp, Long COVID made up:
- 6% of COVID-19 claims across the nation, according to WCRI
- 5% of COVID-19 claims in New York State
- 1 in 21 COVID-19 claims in California
While Long COVID is relatively uncommon in workers’ comp claims, the impacts speak for themselves:
- In California, Long COVID cases consumed 82% of COVID treatment payments, totaling $105.5 million from 2020-2022
- In New York, 18% of Long COVID patients were unable to return to work for more than a year
Additionally, even if Long COVID isn’t work-related or covered by workers’ comp, the health impacts of Long COVID have the potential to impact injured worker recovery as a comorbid condition.
This raises the question: what are the health impacts of Long COVID?
What is Long COVID?
Long COVID – also known as post-COVID conditions (PCC), post-COVID-19 syndrome, long-haul COVID, post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC) and other names – is a chronic health condition that occurs after COVID-19 infection and is present for at least three months. It is a serious illness that can result in chronic conditions requiring comprehensive care, and can last for weeks, months, or even years after COVID-19. Symptoms can persist, resolve, and re-emerge over weeks and months.
