WASHINGTON (AP) – Faced with the long shadow of a pandemic, President Joe Biden has ordered a new impetus in national research for long -term COVID, which also mandates federal agencies to support patients in a state of events that are mysterious and tedious.
Biden on Tuesday instructed the Department of Health and Human Services to coordinate a new emergency initiative with federal agencies based on ongoing research at the National Institutes of Health.
It also mandates federal agencies to support patients and physicians by providing scientific best practices in long -term treatment with COVID, maintaining access to insurance coverage, and protecting the rights of workers dealing with disease uncertainty. The impact on mental health is of particular concern.
Prolonged COVID is a general term for the hydratav condition whose symptoms may include dizziness, repetitive breathing, pain, and fatigue. In other words, it affects 1 in 3 people who recover from COVID-19, although the severity and duration of symptoms vary. Despite intensive research, the causes of chronic COVID are not fully understood, and treatment is primarily focused on helping patients cope with symptoms as they try to restore balance to their daily routine. .
The White House also recognizes that chronic COVID appears to be a disability, meaning patients may be required to comply with federal laws prohibiting discrimination based on health status and requesting housing to accommodate patients. people who live productively.
“The administration recognizes that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected new members of society with disabilities and has had a significant impact on people with disabilities,” the White House said in a statement.
Some independent experts praised the administration for its comprehensive plan, but noted that there were no deadlines for results.
“This is a very important step for the Biden administration in recognizing that the long -standing COVID is real, that it is a significant threat, and much more needs to be done,” Drs. Leana Wen, former Baltimore Health Commissioner. . And a pandemic commentator. “The focus on long -term treatment with COVID and the recognition that it can be a source of permanent disability is long overdue.”
A major advocate of COVID patients felt a breakthrough.
“This is the first attempt to truly address the needs of people who are suffering,” said Diana Berent, founder of Survivor Corps, a support group that connects patients with government and private researchers.
Lawyers called for “the government to establish a long -standing COVID command center,” he added. “It didn’t exist before”.
“I see this as a comprehensive and comprehensive approach to a very difficult issue that was previously thought of,” Berent said.
So far, medical research has led to theories of what causes chronic covidium, but no root. One theory revolves around chronic infections or viral debris that can cause inflammation in the body. Another possibility has to do with autoimmune system responses that mistakenly attack normal cells. Researchers are also studying the role of small coagulation.
The White House said Biden’s mandate would be expanded and based on a $ 1 billion research study already being conducted at the NIH called the RECOVER Initiative. One goal is to accelerate the enrollment of 40,000 people in the study with and without chronic COVID. Around these efforts, health and human services will link the government’s large-scale research plan to the long-term COVID.
HHS will also give the country a lengthy COVID report later this year. “Millions of Americans can combat the ongoing health impact,” HHS Secretary Xavier Besera said. “COVID takes effect after we get rid of the real virus.”
Biden’s command pays attention to treatment. HHS’s division, called the Health Research and Quality Agency, reviews best practices and receives useful information for doctors, hospitals and patients. The Department of Veterans Affairs, which already has 18 factories implementing long -term COVID programs, will be the incubator of ideas and strategies. The administration is asking Congress for $ 20 million for “Centers of Excellence” to develop models of care.
Dr. Fernando Carnaval of the Post-COVID Care Center in Mount Sinai, New York, said he understands complaints that the government has not made enough progress toward chronic COVID.
“For our culture, which needed an answer yesterday, it’s just hard,” Carnival said. “In chronic diseases, in general, it doesn’t work that way. We have another example, from HIV, the answers don’t come right away.”
Finally, the administration said its plan would provide direct assistance to patients with access to insurance coverage and extension of the civil rights umbrella for people with chronic COVID. In line with Biden’s focus on reducing racial and ethnic inequalities in health care, the focus is on the minority communities that have caused the most harm with COVID-19.
Federal health programs that may be a private insurance model are looking for ways to ensure that long -term COVID treatment is covered and paid for. “The administration is working to make COVID assistance easily accessible,” said a White House review of Biden’s plan.
AP medical writer Lindsay Tanner contributed to this report.
Source: Huffpost
