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AAPM&R is Calling for a Comprehensive National Plan to Address the Needs of Millions Suffering from Long COVID

According to two publications from the Journal of the American Medical Association, ten to thirty percent of individuals who had COVID-19 reported at least one persistent symptom up to six months after the virus left their bodies. That means 3 to 10 million Americans are experiencing symptoms of Long COVID or Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC), which are varied and ongoing, including neurological challenges, cognitive problems such as brain fog, shortness of breath, fatigue, pain, and mobility issues.

In 2021, AAPM&R called on President Joe Biden and Congress to gear up for the next coronavirus crisis by preparing and implementing a comprehensive national plan focused on meeting the needs of millions of individuals suffering from the long-term symptoms of COVID-19, and help them regain quality of life and return to being active members of their communities. The plan must include a commitment to three major components:

  • Resources to build necessary infrastructure to meet this crisis
  • Equitable access to care for patients
  • Research to advance medical understanding of Long COVID

PM&R physicians are uniquely qualified to help guide the multidisciplinary effort needed to develop a plan for this crisis. As a specialty, physiatrists are investigators, team leaders and problem solvers. PM&R physicians see the whole patient AND the whole picture of the rehabilitation ecosystem. Physiatrists are exactly what this crisis needs. Learn more about our Multidisciplinary PASC Collaborative, launched in March 2021, which is working on quality improvement initiatives.

AAPM&R Advocacy, Healthcare Collaborations and Partnerships, and Customized Resources to Support PM&R During This Crisis

AAPM&R is working to ensure PM&R is part of the national conversation about healthcare amidst COVID-19 and advocating for the federal support, legislation, regulation relief and resources that physiatrists need now. One way we are doing this is through our partnerships and collaborations with other specialty societies. The Academy continuously works to represent PM&R through these collaborations, and it is through these partnerships that we are able to discuss and share a variety of resources with you that you critically need.

Stay Up-to-Date

Long COVID Initiative Updates: September 15, 2021

Sep 15, 2021

AAPM&R will provide consistent updates on our advocacy outreach efforts, the Multi-Disciplinary PASC Collaborative and other relevant information on our Long COVID initiative.

COCA Call: Evaluating and Supporting Patients Presenting with Fatigue Following COVID-19

Several AAPM&R members will be discussing our new fatigue guidance statement on an upcoming Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA) call on Thursday, September 30 from 1-2 pm (CT). Benjamin Abramoff, MD, MS, FAAPMR; Joseph Herrera, DO, FAAPMR and Monica Verduzco-Gutierrez, MD, FAAPMR, will talk about the guidance in detail, discuss which clinical assessments and tests are needed for an individual patient with fatigue, describe how to apply health equity considerations to clinical care, activity management and reconditioning of Long COVID patients and more. No registration required. Learn more and join the webinar on September 30 using this link. 

AAPM&R Meets with National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine's Standing Committee

On Monday, September 13, we met with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine's (NASEM) Standing Committee of Medical and Vocational Experts for the Social Security Administration's (SSA) Disability Programs. It's a committee of clinicians and scientists who advice the SSA on medical and vocational issues related to disability. Paul Jett, MD, MBA, FAAPMR, Ballad Health's Medical Director for the Center for Post-COVID Care, and Benjamin Ambramoff, MD, MS, FAAPMR, Penn Medicine's Director of the Post-COVID Assessment and Recovery Clinic and Co-Chair of AAPM&R's Multi-Disciplinary Collaborative, provided insight on our collaborative's work and what our members are seeing in their clinics. Together they focused on the initial patient visits and patient evaluations to paint an accurate picture of how complex this new patient population is, how variable their symptoms may be and how current testing may not adequately capture the effects of Long COVID.