Millions of Americans Still Battling Long COVID, According to New Federal Data
New reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics have revealed that millions of Americans are still battling long COVID, a condition where symptoms persist for weeks or even months after the initial infection has cleared. The reports, based on data from the 2022 National Health Interview Survey, found that 6.9% of adults, equivalent to approximately 18 million people, reported ever having long COVID, while 3.4% (8.8 million) said they currently had the condition.
The data also revealed that 1.5% of children, roughly 1 million, had ever experienced long COVID, with 0.5% (360,000) currently experiencing the condition. Symptoms of long COVID can vary and may include fatigue, difficulty breathing, headaches, brain fog, joint and muscle pain, and continued loss of taste and smell.
The cause for developing long COVID remains uncertain, and research is ongoing to better understand the condition. However, the reports did identify several demographic trends. Women were found to be more likely than men to have ever had or currently have long COVID, with 4.4% of women currently experiencing the condition compared to 2.3% of men.
In terms of age, adults between 35 and 49 years old were the most likely to have had or currently have long COVID, followed by those between 50 and 64. Senior citizens aged 65 and older were the least likely to be affected. Among racial and ethnic groups, Hispanic adults had the highest prevalence of long COVID, followed by white, Black, and Asian adults. However, when looking specifically at those currently experiencing the condition, white adults slightly surpassed Hispanic adults.
Similar trends were observed among children aged 17 and younger. Girls were more likely than boys to have experienced long COVID, and Hispanic children had the highest percentage of reporting previous long COVID, while white children had the highest reporting of current long COVID. Children between the ages of 12 and 17 were the most likely to have had or still have long COVID.
While the percentage of children currently experiencing long COVID was relatively low, the differences observed by age persisted. Data from the Nationwide Commercial Laboratory Seroprevalence Survey indicated that about 92% of children currently have antibodies in their blood samples, indicating a previous infection.
In response to the ongoing impact of long COVID, the Biden administration recently announced the formation of a new Office of Long COVID Research and Practice. This office, under the Department of Health and Human Services, aims to study the condition and provide support to those diagnosed with it. The office will coordinate the whole-of-government response to the longer-term effects of COVID-19.
As the battle against COVID-19 continues, understanding and addressing the long-term consequences of the disease, such as long COVID, will be crucial in providing necessary support and care to those affected.