Six Years After the Pandemic: How Long COVID Continues to Affect Thousands in LA County

Advocates Call for Task Force to Address Long COVID Impact in Los Angeles

The ongoing effects of long COVID present significant challenges for many, prompting advocates to urge the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to form a task force dedicated to understanding and addressing the condition.

For Elle Seibert, navigating the realities of long COVID has been a four-year struggle. “I would really struggle to make it through a workday,” she shared, noting that her job primarily involved typing on a computer rather than physical labor. The condition has hindered her ability to maintain a traditional 9-to-5 job, leading her to seek alternative work as a consultant and Uber driver. Despite her efforts, she expressed concern over her financial stability. “I don’t have a partner paying my rent. If I even just get a cold while I’m at work, then I can’t drive for a few days,” she said.

Beth Nishida, another long COVID patient, also faces debilitating symptoms that include extreme fatigue, brain fog, migraines, and a disorder known as POTS. Her condition forced her to retire from a job she cherished as a special education administrator. Frustrated with the lack of support from Los Angeles County, Nishida highlighted the urgent need for action. “If you look at the LA County website, their own statistics show that in 2023, over 630,000 people in LA County had long COVID,” she said. “But I can’t figure out that anything was actually done to address the needs of those people.”

Dr. Jeffrey Klausner, an infectious disease expert affiliated with Keck Medicine of USC’s COVID Recovery Clinic, echoed these concerns. “This is an ignored problem in Los Angeles County,” he noted, emphasizing that the impacts of long COVID extend beyond physical and mental health to social and economic issues as well. He cited estimates that the financial toll of long COVID on the county could reach as high as $12 billion.

Seibert articulated the broader implications of long COVID, stating, “If you lose the ability to work, long COVID becomes a labor issue. Now if you can’t work, how are you going to pay your rent and bills? Then long COVID becomes a housing issue.” Both Seibert and Nishida are active patients at the Keck Medicine of USC COVID Recovery Clinic and serve on a community advisory board alongside Dr. Klausner. Their collective aim is to advocate for the formation of a dedicated task force.

Klausner proposed assembling experts from various fields to address the issue effectively. “Let’s get the smartest people in the county together; let’s get the advocates, let’s get the doctors, and let’s get people who deal with housing and other economic issues around the table on a regular basis for 12 months,” he suggested. He highlighted the idea of creating a hotline to connect individuals suffering from long COVID with available resources.

While advocates await a response from Board Chair Hilda Solis regarding a discussion of this critical issue, those affected by long COVID like Seibert and Nishida are learning to adapt to their new reality. Occupational and physical therapy provide some assistance, but there remains no definitive remedy, and symptoms can vary widely from person to person.

Amidst her challenges, Nishida has turned to photography as a means to process her experiences and share a message of hope with others facing similar struggles. “Then I think my life does have purpose, it does have meaning, and it makes a big difference,” she reflected.

As the call for action continues, the plight of long COVID patients in Los Angeles remains a pressing matter, underscoring the need for a comprehensive response to this growing public health challenge.