“Long Haulers” and the Impact of COVID-19 on Mental Health and Cognitive Abilities

By Adam Morell, JD

Director National Compliance, ADA Accommodations
Sedgwick

Exposure to COVID-19 continues to loom large in the workplace, and many project it will leave a lasting imprint long after vaccinations have been administered. While the medical community learns more about the virus each day, one phenomenon that is garnering increased attention is a condition called post-acute COVID-19 syndrome (PACS). This term is used to describe those instances in which COVID-19 survivors experience lingering symptoms after the virus has cleared the body. People who exhibit these symptoms are called “long haulers.”

An estimated 10% of all COVID-19 patients become long haulers.¹ These individuals frequently describe physical symptoms such as muscle aches and fatigue for months. Perhaps more troubling, some long haulers experience an ongoing cognitive decline or “brain fog” long after the virus infection, with difficulties in focusing, concentrating, and thinking.

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