Long COVID can qualify as a federally recognized disability

On the 31st anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Justice jointly published guidance explaining long COVID can be considered a disability under the ADA. People with long COVID who experience “debilitating long-term impairments that substantially limit major life activities" are entitled to the same protections as others covered by the act, federal officials said. As part of a comprehensive effort to assist people with long COVID, the Administration for Community Living published a directory of resources, and HHS launched an initiative to study the disease. (HHS news release, 7/26/21)