Long Covid may be keeping up to 4 million people out of work, research suggests

Long Covid symptoms — effects lasting at least three months — may be forcing millions to forgo work or reduce hours, according to a Brookings Institution report.

Up to 4 million people may be out of work because of long Covid in the U.S, according to a report published this week by the Brookings Institution.

In lost wages, that could add up to at least $170 billion per year, the report suggests.

The research looked at people who worked full time, or the equivalent of full-time hours, before they got long Covid: an estimated 12 million people in the U.S., according to federal data.

What we know about long C0vid: Symptoms, causes, conditionsJuly 25, 202205:20From there, it estimated how many people were out of work or working reduced hours because of persistent health issues following a Covid infection. The report used the definition of long Covid from the Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey: symptoms lasting three months or longer that were not present pre-Covid.

Several surveys have attempted to quantify the impact of long Covid on employment. A working paper from the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis estimated last month that 26% of people with long Covid were out of work or had reduced their working hours as of mid-2021. An international survey found that 22% of people with long Covid weren't working because of their illness and 45% had reduced hours as of 2020. And a U.K. survey found that 16% of people with long Covid had reduced hours and 20% were on paid sick leave between April and May 2021.

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/long-covid-keeping-4-million-people-out-of-work-rcna44807

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