U.S. President Biden said Monday the White House is pushing for people with long-term COVID-19 symptoms could qualify for disability support under the federal law and receive additional help and resources, as he marked the 31st anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Biden released guidance on federal protections and resources to those suffering from lingering Covid symptoms, such as fatigue or brain fog, which “can sometimes rise to the level of a disability”.
“We’re bringing agencies together to make sure Americans with long Covid who have a disability have access to the rights and resources that are due under the disability law, which includes accommodations and services in the workplace and school, and our health care system so they can live their lives in dignity,” Biden said.
“Many Americans who seemingly recover from the virus still face lingering challenges like breathing problems, brain fog, chronic pain, and fatigue,” he said in his address at the Rose Garden.
“These conditions can sometimes rise to the level of a disability,” he added.
“We are bringing agencies together to make sure Americans with long Covid, who have a disability, have access to the rights and resources that are due under disability law,” Biden said during his remarks.
Under guidance issued by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Justice, long Covid can qualify as a disability under federal civil rights laws if it “substantially limits one or more major life activities.”
This means individuals with long Covid symptoms that rise to a disability are entitled to resources and protection from discrimination under federal disability laws.
“Long COVID” is defined as “new or ongoing symptoms” that last for weeks or months, even after recovering from COVID-19, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
