Long COVID Among People With Pre-existing Disabilities
Topic: Disability Statistics
Author: University of Kansas
Published: 2024/09/03
Publication Type: Survey, Analysis – Peer-Reviewed: Yes
Contents: Summary – Introduction – Main – Related
Synopsis: Survey reveals individuals with pre-existing disabilities had long COVID and much higher rates than peers. U.S. national data shows health policy should address disparities for those with disabilities. We know many people who experience long COVID go on to develop a disability, but we wanted to know more about how it affected those with disabilities before developing long COVID.
Introduction
The COVID-19 pandemic has been especially hard on individuals with disabilities. New research from the University of Kansas shows that this population is also experiencing long COVID at significantly higher rates than the general population, which exacerbates existing barriers to accessing care.
Main Digest
Researchers from KU’s Institute for Health and Disability Policy Studies at the KU Life Span Institute and the Patient-Led Research Collaborative published a study showing that more than 40% of individuals with pre-existing disabilities who had tested positive for COVID-19 experienced long COVID, defined as symptoms lasting three months or longer. This rate is more than twice the 18.9% of individuals without disabilities who contracted COVID and experienced long [...]