From the Washington Post:
… The coronavirus pandemic has created a mass-disabling event that experts liken to HIV, polio or World War II, with millions suffering the long-term effects of infection with the coronavirus. Many have found their lives dramatically changed and are grappling with what it means to be disabled. …
“We’re at this real confrontational moment of trying to educate as many people as possible about disability and structural inequalities and trying to make sure [long haulers] get the resources they need right now,” said Mia Ives-Rublee, director of the Disability Justice Initiative at the Center for American Progress …
There’s just one problem. I’ve seen virtually no Social Security disability claims based on long Covid. I’m pretty sure the Social Security Administration hasn’t seen many. I’m not disparaging those with long Covid problems. It’s just that I’m pretty sure this is a much less common problem than articles like this suggest, at least at a level that precludes work.
8 comments:
But I thought Covid was nothing to worry about? Just a common cold? At least that’s what the people on this blog were saying.
Seems like a non-story.
As of July 2021, “long COVID,” also known as post-COVID conditions, can be considered a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Estimates of the proportion of people who had COVID-19 that go on to experience post-COVID conditions can vary:
13.3% at one month or longer after infection
2.5% at three months or longer, based on self-reporting
More than 30% at 6 months among patients who were hospitalized
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/long-term-effects/index.html
I have encountered half a dozen post-covid claims in NY. All have been women. Won my first claim at the hearing level for a 32 year old who contracted Covid in March 2020 in NYC (no positive PCR test or antibody). She is by far the most severe case I have encountered, and she treated with best post-covid clinic in the country at Mt. Sinai.
Post-covid claims will be very difficult to win unless claimants are treating with a top tier institutions like Mt. Siani that have an organized interdisciplinary team of specialists. The other cases I have encountered are much weaker because coordination of care is generally terrible, and primary care doctors do not seem to know where to refer these patients--or they refer to one doctor at a time, which dramatically lengthens the time it takes to figure out the highly individualized nature of the claimant's post-covid syndrome. For example, I had a prospect on medicaid get referred to pulmonologist as the first and only specialist consultation. This made little sense, because this claimant was fully vaxxed when she contracted Covid, and did not need to be hospitalized--so 95% chance they will discover nothing wrong with her lungs, and she will have wasted 3-4 months.
Almost daily, I speak with potential new clients who list post-covid complications in their impairments. However, almost all suffered serious bouts of covid (hosp visits, rehab, ICU) and have still not fully recovered. Additionally, their post covid issues are along side other serious health issues such as diabetes, COPD and obesity.
I've granted a handful already. Anecdotal evidence from one solo practitioner does not outweigh statistical data.
The SSA has seen plenty. We've had plenty approved.
It's about functional limitation, anyway. Doesn't matter whether we're calling it "long COVID."
We have quite a few cases, many contracted COVID prior to the vaccines so they have been sick for quite some time. Our geographic area runs an older demographic but our clients have been young and old.
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