Physicians and advocacy groups said two long COVID-19 federal reports released Aug. 3 failed to address immediate needs of patients and recommendations for addressing the crisis, NBC News reported Aug. 3.
One of the HHS reports describes various ongoing federal research projects on the illness, while the second was intended to provide an outline of further steps needed to support patients.
The reports detailed the unknowns surrounding the illness, including the cause, effective treatments and a specific definition of the condition. While HHS plans to establish a long COVID-19 office, no details were included on funding, staffing or a timeline.
"It is high time for the government to wrap its collective head around the immensity of the problem at hand," Diana Berrent, founder of the advocacy group Survivor Corps, told NBC. "A call to action without funding is a cry into the dark. Long Covid patients are suffering and need immediate relief; this announcement is a placeholder not an answer."