Returning to Work After Long COVID: Focus on Accommodation
By Glenn Pransky, MD, MOccH, Scientific Advisor, Lincoln Financial Group; David Berube, MD, MPH, Chief Medical Officer, Lincoln Financial Group; Joanne Rosa, Vice President, Group Product Solutions, Lincoln Financial Group
Long COVID or post-COVID conditions (PCC) include symptoms that last a month or longer and affect up to 30% of people after acute COVID-19 infection.1 It is difficult to evaluate impairment, work restrictions, and accommodations, but new guidance is emerging.2
The Post-COVID Challenge
The initial infection can affect many body functions, including the nervous, respiratory, cardiovascular, endocrine, gastrointestinal, renal, mental, and cognitive systems.3 PCC illness patterns vary greatly — from specific complications such as lung disease to symptoms that are not explained by clinical findings. A thorough medical evaluation is important because there is no specific test to confirm a PCC diagnosis4 and because in some presentations, symptoms may be unrelated to COVID and caused by another illness, such as fatigue due to hypothyroidism.
The wide-ranging social and mental health impacts of the pandemic may also contribute to a variety of symptoms that may be unrelated to a COVID illness.5
Full content is available to DMEC members only. to view the complete resource.
If you are not a DMEC member, we encourage you to join. DMEC members have access to white papers, case studies, @Work magazine articles, free webinars, legislative updates, and much more. These resources will assist you in building an effective and compliant integrated absence management program, saving you time, resources, and money. Learn more.
If you are being asked to log in more than once, please refresh your browser.