Another unequal burden: Working with Long Covid

She said she has found comfort in online support groups that connect with others trying to cope with recovery and career changes.

“I drop so many balls all the time that I’m not used to it,” said Bailey, whose job as charity campaign coordinator in London was not renewed last year after her contract expired. “I don’t really know where to go. I can’t do the jobs I used to enjoy.”

Another unequal burden

Some countries in Western Europe have strong policies in place to protect people with disabilities, said Philippa Dunn, one of the authors of a report published by Solve Long Covid Initiative, a nonprofit research and advocacy group.

However, there is less protection in the United States. Because unvaccinated people may be more susceptible to persistent COVID-19, companies in areas with lower vaccination rates, such as the South, may be understaffed more than those in areas with high vaccination rates, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of which. Mrs. Dunn said.

“It would be another disproportionate burden,” said Mrs. Dunn. “In the South there is already a much higher percentage of people with disabilities than in the Northeast and Midwest. And this is going to get worse, too.”

A major logistical obstacle in the United States for employees with Cofidong disease are eligible for unemployment benefits. There is no single test to diagnose it, it is vaguely specific and much remains unknown. This can make it difficult for people to be diagnosed and get disability benefits. It could also complicate responses from employers, who are still researching how to deal with work issues related to the coronavirus, including the risky question of whether Covid vaccinations should be mandatory for employees.

Kate Brennan, counsel for the Society for Human Resource Management, said employers should consider their legal obligations to employees under the Family and Federal Medical Leave Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. She said that under federal labor law, eligible workers are entitled to up to 12 weeks of rest and may be subject to government safeguards.