On Long COVID Awareness Day, Pressley Keeps Up Fight for COVID Long Haulers – Representative Ayanna Pressley

Pressley Has Led Efforts in Congress to Expand Access to Long COVID Treatment, Invest in Research, and More

WASHINGTON Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) issued the following statement marking Long COVID Awareness Day while continuing her fight in Congress to support the millions of people in America still living with COVID-19.

Long COVID remains a national crisis in America that demands a bold, federal response that ensures no one is ignored, left out, or left behind in our recovery. On Long COVID Awareness Day, Im proud to join national and grassroots advocates across the country to demand action from lawmakers to provide our COVID Long Haulers with the resources and treatment they need and deserve, said Rep. Pressley. Congress must immediately pass my TREAT Long COVID Act with Rep. Beyer and Rep. Blunt Rochester to expand access to Long COVID clinics and help Long Haulers access care right in their communities, as well as fully fund the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Long COVID Research and Practice, and make bold federal investments in Long COVID research. As we heal from the COVID-19 pandemic, I want our Long Haulers to know that we see them, their experiences are real, and we will never stop fighting for them.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people with Long COVIDmay experience a combination of symptoms, ranging from extreme fatigue and cognitive dysfunction to muscle pain and gastrointestinal issues, to difficulty breathing, insomnia, and heart palpitations. Across the country,nearly one in five adultswho have had COVID-19 still suffer from symptoms of Long COVID, and more than 65 million people are suffering worldwide. These complications affect people of all ages and all walks of life, with disproportionate impacts reported on women and people of color.

In Congress, Rep. Pressley, along with Representatives Don Beyer and Lisa Blunt Rochester, has introduced the TREAT Long COVID Act to increase access to medical care and treatment for communities and individuals struggling with Long COVID and its associated conditions. The bill would fund the expansion of Long COVID clinics and empower health care providersincluding community health centers and local public health departmentsto treat Long COVID patients in their own communities. A summary of the bill can be foundhere, and the bill text is availablehere.

Rep. Pressley has also held a series ofvirtual and in-person roundtable discussions with patients, health care providers, and advocates in the Massachusetts 7thto discuss the Long COVID crisis. Watch their roundtablehere.

Congresswoman Pressley has nominated two constituents to serve on HHS Federal Advisory Committee on Long COVID.

Rep. Pressley has been a longtime champion for people suffering from Long COVID and for disaggregated demographic data on COVID-19 to better address the pandemics disproportionate impact on communities of color.

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On Long COVID Awareness Day, Pressley Keeps Up Fight for COVID Long Haulers - Representative Ayanna Pressley