The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a great deal of difficulty for nearly everyone in the United States. Around 79 million people in the U.S. have been infected with the virus, and around 950,000 have died. Unfortunately, many people who have recovered from infections are continuing to experience serious symptoms that affect their daily lives. These issues are common enough that they have become known as “long Covid,” and those who suffer from serious symptoms often struggle to maintain employment and complete other daily tasks. While conditions that are serious enough to prevent a person from working may qualify them for disability benefits from Social Security, many have had trouble receiving these benefits.
Problems With Social Security Disability Claims for Covid Long Haulers
Covid infections can have a number of long-term effects. Those who became seriously ill, were placed on ventilators, and experienced issues such as organ failure or bleeding in the brain have often been able to qualify for Social Security disability benefits. However, others who experienced less severe symptoms following an infection have had trouble demonstrating that they meet the requirements for total disability.
Symptoms of long Covid often include extreme fatigue in which a person becomes exhausted even after performing minor physical activities. Many have also experienced issues such as shortness of breath, headaches, dizziness, heart palpitations, chest pain, and pain in the muscles and joints. In many cases, long Covid also involves “brain fog” in which people struggle to think clearly, concentrate, and remember information.
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