Among U.S. adults, long COVID cases drop to 6%, CDC says
Aug. 10 (UPI) -- The percentage of Americans living with long COVID dropped from 7.5% in June 2022 to 6% in June 2023, according to new data published Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Long COVID occurs when a person has symptoms of the illness lasting more than four weeks after the viral infection clears up.
"A retrospective cohort study among eight large integrated U.S. health systems found that SARS-CoV-2 infection was associated with a 4% increase in health care utilization over the 6 months following a positive SARS-CoV-2 test result," the CDC said in a press release Thursday.
Earlier this month, the Biden administration announced the creation of the Office of Long COVID Research and Practice under the Department of Health and Human Services.
"The Office of Long COVID Reasearch and Practice will enhance efforts being undertaken across the U.S. government to improve the lives of those who continue to experience the long-term impacts of the worst public health crisis in a century," said the Health Department's assistant secretary for heath, Rachel Levine.
The National Institutes of Health announced earlier this month that it will be conducting trails under the $1.15 billion RECOVER Initiative to understand and treat long COVID.
In July, the NIH announced that it would begin enrolling patients in four potential long-COVID treatments and that it was examining seven further potential treatments.
"NIH is committed to a highly coordinated and scientifically rigorous approach to find treatments that will provide relief for the millions of people living with long COVID," said acting NIH Director Lawrence Tabak.
