"Long Covid19" - What does it mean for Returning to Normal Work?

What is "Long Covid-19?"

Long COVID-19 refers to ongoing symptoms that can last weeks or months after the initial COVID-19 infection. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), long COVID-19 can occur in anyone who has contracted COVID-19, even if the illness was mild or there were no initial symptoms. This little-understood phenomenon concerns health experts, as these types of ongoing symptoms caused by other illnesses are usually only present among individuals who have had severe infections.

The following are some common long COVID-19 symptom:

As the above list illustrates, long COVID-19 symptoms overlap considerably with common health issues. This can make it difficult to identify in the first place. Therefore, employees with long COVID-19 may not be initially aware of their infection and might attribute symptoms to more mundane conditions, such as a cold.

The Next Major Workplace Disruption?

Currently, health experts are still trying to understand why some people develop long COVID-19 and others don’t. They are also studying the condition’s prevalence to see how widespread it is. According to research from the University of Washington, among a group of 234 individuals who were observed for up to nine months after COVID-19 infection, approximately 30% had persistent symptoms, with fatigue being the most common. Separately, research from Stanford University found that approximately 73% of COVID-19 patients said they still had at least one symptom 60 days or longer after the initial diagnosis.

This will put employers in a difficult position; a significant number of their workers may continue to deal with COVID-19 and its symptoms well into the future.

Beyond contributing to operational disruptions, employees with long COVID-19 may require accommodations in the workplace. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, long COVID-19 can be considered a disability under the ADA if they meet certain qualifications. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, “An individualized assessment is necessary to determine whether a person’s long COVID-19 condition or any of its symptoms substantially limits a major life activity.”

Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance

With the potential for ongoing long COVID-19 impacts, employers should consider taking action to safeguard their workplaces. The following steps can help employers dealing with long COVID-19 workplace issues:

• Educate staff on long COVID-19 symptoms. The entire workplace should be introduced to the idea of long COVID-19, including its potential symptoms, so everyone knows what to look out for.
• Foster open communication. Employees should talk to their managers if they’re experiencing any prolonged health issues that may impact their performance, even if the employees are unsure whether the symptoms stem from COVID-19 or not.
• Have remote work backup plans. Employers can consider having employees work from home when they’re dealing with long COVID-19, as the symptoms may not be debilitating in all cases.
• Be adaptable and accommodating. Employers should work with individuals experiencing long COVID-19 to find a way to effectively manage their symptoms while still accomplishing job duties. For instance, if an employee cannot focus on tasks due to brain fog, perhaps they could be retrained for a different role. Other potential accommodations include job restructuring, modified scheduling or role reassignment.
• Train managers to recognize long COVID-19 ADA requests. ADA reasonable accommodation requests do not need to be submitted in writing (can be verbal) or even include the phrase “reasonable accommodation.” As such, managers should be trained to recognize when an employee with long COVID-19 symptoms may be making such a request and should initiate a dialogue to begin the process.

These steps are only some ways employers can prepare for long COVID-19 interruptions. In general, employers will need to stay agile and work with individual employees to determine the best course forward in each situation.

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