III 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 590 

Designating March 15, 2024, as ‘‘Long COVID Awareness Day’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 14, 2024 

Mr. SANDERS (for himself, Mr. KAINE, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. HICKENLOOPER, 

Ms. SMITH, Mr. CASEY, and Ms. BALDWIN) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

RESOLUTION 

Designating March 15, 2024, as ‘‘Long COVID Awareness 

Day’’. 

Whereas Long COVID is a systemic and often debilitating 

and disabling long-term outcome of an acute COVID–19 

infection; 

Whereas Long COVID has the potential to worsen pre-existing health conditions and can cause death months to 

years after an acute COVID–19 infection; 

Whereas there are more than 200 documented Long COVID 

symptoms, which can vary from person to person and can 

include fatigue, cognitive impairment, muscle or joint 

pain, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, sleep difficulties, mood changes, and damage to organ systems 

and tissue; 


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•SRES 590 IS 

Whereas Long COVID can trigger other infection-associated 

chronic conditions such as postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome and other forms of dysautonomia, mast 

cell activation syndrome, fibromyalgia, myalgic 

encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, and many 

others; 

Whereas there is no single diagnostic test or protocol to confirm a Long COVID diagnosis; 

Whereas many providers are unprepared to identify, diagnose, or treat Long COVID due to a lack of education 

and information, and some providers refrain from making 

a Long COVID diagnosis at all; 

Whereas, according to estimates from the Centers for Disease 

Control and Prevention, there are 22,000,000 adults and 

1,000,000 children currently living with Long COVID in 

the United States, and there are likely more; 

Whereas Long COVID disproportionately affects racial and 

ethnic minorities, women, the elderly, people with disabilities, and those with lower incomes; 

Whereas the Department of Health and Human Services and 

the Department of Justice have issued guidance clarifying that Long COVID can be considered a disability 

under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 

U.S.C. 12101 et seq.); 

Whereas Long COVID has had a devastating financial impact on individuals and on the overall economy with an 

estimated economic cost of $3,700,000,000,000 due to 

reduced quality of life, lost earnings, and direct medical 

care spending for those who suffer from Long COVID; 


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Whereas people with Long COVID are 10 percent less likely 

to be employed and those who are employed work 50 percent fewer hours than people without Long COVID; 

Whereas there may be as many as 4,000,000 fewer workers 

in the United States workforce due to the impact of the 

disease; 

Whereas there are no approved cures for Long COVID, and 

most of the treatments involve addressing individual 

symptoms using established therapies; and 

Whereas investing in Long COVID research and promoting 

the development of treatment and diagnostic tools remain 

priorities to improve the quality of life for those impacted 

by Long COVID: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) designates March 15, 2024, as ‘‘Long 

3 COVID Awareness Day’’; 

4 (2) recognizes patients and their families and 

5 caregivers who are affected by Long COVID; 

6 (3) commends the work of doctors and re7 searchers who continue to advance the study of 

8 Long COVID; and 

9 (4) encourages relevant Federal agencies— 

10 (A) to expand research efforts to develop 

11 effective treatments, diagnostics, and cures; 

12 (B) to publish information on Long 

13 COVID to educate the public and providers 

14 about the impact of the condition; and 


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1 (C) to make every effort to ensure that pa2 tients and their families and caregivers receive 

3 adequate support and care. 

Æ 


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