Presidential Documents

20995 

Federal Register 

Vol. 87, No. 68 

Friday, April 8, 2022 

Title 3— 

The President 

Memorandum of April 5, 2022 

Addressing the Long-Term Effects of COVID–19 

Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies 

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the 

laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows: 

Section 1. Policy. My Administration has made combating the coronavirus 

disease 2019 (COVID–19) pandemic, and guiding the Nation through the 

worst public health crisis in more than a century, our top priority. When 

I came into office, COVID–19 was wreaking havoc on our country—closing 

our businesses, keeping our kids out of school, and forcing us into isolation. 

Today, America has the tools to protect against COVID–19 and to dramatically 

decrease its risks. We move towards a future in which COVID–19 does 

not disrupt our daily lives and is something we prevent, protect against, 

and treat. 

As we chart the path forward, we remember the more than 950,000 people 

in the United States lost to COVID–19. They were beloved parents, grandparents, children, siblings, spouses, neighbors, and friends. More than 

200,000 children in the United States have lost a parent or caregiver to 

the disease. Each soul is irreplaceable, and the families and communities 

left behind are still reeling from profound loss. Many families and communities have already received support from Federal programs that help with 

the loss they have experienced. As we move forward, we commit to ensuring 

that families and communities can access these support programs and connect 

to resources they may need to help with their healing, health, and wellbeing. 

At the same time, many of our family members, neighbors, and friends 

continue to experience negative long-term effects of COVID–19. Many individuals report debilitating, long-lasting effects of having been infected with 

COVID–19, often called ‘‘long COVID.’’ These symptoms can happen to 

anyone who has had COVID–19—including individuals across ages, races, 

genders, and ethnicities; individuals with or without disabilities; individuals 

with or without underlying health conditions; and individuals whether or 

not they had initial symptoms. Individuals experiencing long COVID report 

experiencing new or recurrent symptoms, which can include anxiety and 

depression, fatigue, shortness of breath, difficulty concentrating, heart palpitations, disordered sleep, chest and joint pain, headaches, and other symptoms. 

These symptoms can persist long after the acute COVID–19 infection has 

resolved. Even young people and otherwise healthy people have reported 

long COVID symptoms that last for many months. These symptoms may 

be affecting individuals’ ability to work, conduct daily activities, engage 

in educational activities, and participate in their communities. Our worldclass research and public health organizations have begun the difficult work 

of understanding these new conditions, their causes, and potential prevention 

and treatment options. Our health care and support programs are working 

to help meet the needs of individuals experiencing the lasting effects of 

COVID–19. To organize the Federal Government’s response, executive departments and agencies (agencies) must work together to use the expertise, 

resources, and benefit programs of the Federal Government to ensure that 

we are accelerating scientific progress and providing individuals with the 

support and services they need. 


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20996 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 68 / Friday, April 8, 2022 / Presidential Documents 

In addition, the American public is grappling with a mental health crisis 

exacerbated by the pandemic. Too many have felt the effects of social 

isolation, sickness, economic insecurity, increased caregiver burdens, and 

grief. My Administration has made significant investments in mental health 

as well as substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery support 

for the American public, including by expanding access to communitybased behavioral health services. We are committed to advancing these 

behavioral health efforts in order to better identify the effects of the pandemic 

on mental health, substance use, and well-being, and to take steps to address 

these effects for the people we serve. 

Our Nation can continue to protect the public—and spare countless families 

from the deepest pain imaginable—if everybody does their part. Today, 

we have numerous tools to protect ourselves and our loved ones from 

COVID–19—from vaccines to tests, treatments, masks, and more. My Administration recognizes the toll of this pandemic on the American public and 

commits to redoubling our efforts to support the American people in addressing the long-term effects of COVID–19 on their lives and on society. 

Sec. 2. Organizing the Government-Wide Response to the Long-Term Effects 

of COVID–19. (a) The Secretary of Health and Human Services (Secretary) 

shall coordinate the Government-wide response to the long-term effects of 

COVID–19. My Administration will harness the full potential of the Federal 

Government, in coordination with public- and private-sector partners, to 

mount a full and effective response. The Secretary shall report on the coordination efforts to the Coordinator of the COVID–19 Response and Counselor 

to the President and to the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy. 

(b) The heads of agencies shall assist and provide information to the 

Secretary, consistent with applicable law, as may be necessary to carry 

out the Secretary’s duties described in subsection (a) of this section. 

(c) In performing the duties described in subsection (a) of this section, 

the Secretary shall seek information from relevant nongovernmental experts, 

organizations, and stakeholders, including individuals affected directly by 

the long-term effects of COVID–19. The Secretary shall consider using all 

available legal authorities, as appropriate and consistent with applicable 

law, to assist in gathering relevant information, including a waiver under 

42 U.S.C. 247d(f). 

Sec. 3. Report on the Long-Term Effects of COVID–19. The Secretary, supported within the Department of Health and Human Services by the Assistant 

Secretary for Health and the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and 

Substance Use, shall publish a public report within 120 days of the date 

of this memorandum outlining services and mechanisms of support across 

agencies to assist the American public in the face of the far-reaching and 

long-term effects of COVID–19. The report shall outline Federal Government 

services to support individuals experiencing long COVID, individuals and 

families experiencing a loss due to COVID–19, and all those grappling with 

mental health and substance use issues in the wake of this pandemic. 

The report shall also specifically address the long-term effects of COVID– 

19 on underserved communities and efforts to address disparities in availability and adoption of services and support for such communities. 

Sec. 4. National Research Action Plan on Long COVID. (a) Coordinated 

efforts across the public and private sectors are needed to advance progress 

in prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and provision of services for individuals 

experiencing long COVID. The Secretary, supported by the Assistant Secretary 

for Health and in collaboration with the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary 

of Labor, the Secretary of Energy, and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, 

shall coordinate a Government-wide effort to develop the first-ever interagency national research agenda on long COVID, to be reflected in a National 

Research Action Plan. The National Research Action Plan will build on 

ongoing efforts across the Federal Government, including the landmark RECOVER Initiative implemented by the National Institutes of Health. The 


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Secretary shall release the jointly developed National Research Action Plan 

within 120 days of the date of this memorandum. 

(b) The National Research Action Plan shall build upon existing research 

efforts and include strategies to: 

(i) help measure and characterize long COVID in both children and adults, 

including with respect to its frequency, severity, duration, risk factors, 

and trends over time; 

(ii) support the development of estimates on prevalence and incidence 

of long COVID disaggregated by demographic groups and symptoms; 

(iii) better understand the epidemiology, course of illness, risk factors, 

and vaccine effectiveness in prevention of long COVID; 

(iv) advance our understanding of the health and socioeconomic burdens 

on individuals affected by long COVID, including among different race 

and ethnicity groups, pregnant people, and those with underlying disabilities; 

(v) foster development of new treatments and care models for long COVID 

based on a better understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms 

of the SARS–CoV–2 virus; 

(vi) inform decisions related to high-quality support, services, and interventions for long COVID; 

(vii) improve data-sharing between agencies and academic and industry 

researchers about long COVID, to the extent permitted by law; and 

(viii) specifically account for the pandemic’s effect on underserved communities and rural populations. 

Sec. 5. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this memorandum shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect: 

(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, 

or the head thereof; or 

(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget 

relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals. 

(b) This memorandum shall be implemented consistent with applicable 

law and subject to the availability of appropriations. 

(c) This memorandum is not intended to, and does not, create any right 

or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by 

any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, 

its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person. 


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20998 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 68 / Friday, April 8, 2022 / Presidential Documents 

(d) The Secretary is authorized and directed to publish this memorandum 

in the Federal Register. 

THE WHITE HOUSE, 

Washington, April 5, 2022 

[FR Doc. 2022–07756 

Filed 4–7–22; 11:15 am] 

Billing code 4150–42–P 


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