Is Long COVID the Next Public Health Emergency?

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The long-term debilitating effects of COVID-19 on people infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus are a serious concern for clinicians, researchers and policymakers. Four months after diagnosis, almost half of COVID-19 survivors worldwide reported persistent symptoms including fatigue, memory problems, shortness of breath, sleep problems, and joint pain. Additionally, so-called "long COVID" may increase risk for heart attacks, diabetes, and dementia. Millions now confront continuing symptoms that interfere with the quality of life and impact productivity at work and home. The social, economic, and health security implications are profound. Where do we stand with research, treatment, and care for long COVID? What can we learn from related health conditions? Can we deploy the public health infrastructure as well as tools for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment put in place during the pandemic to grasp and address the long-term complications of COVID-19? 

    Moderator

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    Jeannie Baumann

    Senior Reporter, Bloomberg News

    Speakers

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    Cynthia Adinig

    Founder, BIPOC Equity Agency
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    Oved Amitay

    Co-Founder, Long COVID Alliance; President and CEO, Solve M.E.
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    Gary Gibbons

    Director, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health; Co-Chair, RECOVER
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    Juan Wisnivesky

    Chief, Division of General Internal Medicine, Mount Sinai Health System