The $8 Billion Silent Crisis: Long COVID Costs Keep Rising as Washington Ignores

(SeaPRwire) –   While headlines about long COVID have become less frequent compared to the initial years of the pandemic, the condition continues to affect over 44 million Americans who have experienced its symptoms, with the number still on the rise. This ongoing suffering also carries a significant cost for the U.S.

Long COVID is defined as the persistence of at least one COVID-19 symptom, such as fatigue, shortness of breath, or headaches, for over three months.

We are researchers specializing in artificial intelligence and computational modeling, dedicated to applying these methods to enhance public health communications and decision-making. For this particular study, we collaborated with a team of experts in public health and infectious diseases.

Our team’s research, published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases in 2025, projected that the cumulative economic impact of long COVID is likely to surpass US$8 billion between 2025 and the end of 2027.

This study involved the development and execution of a computational simulation model designed to predict the potential outcomes for individuals after contracting COVID-19. This included assessing the likelihood of developing various forms of long COVID, the resulting symptoms, associated healthcare expenses, and lost work productivity.

Our simulations indicate that a single case of long COVID could cost the U.S. an average of $9,906 to $11,646 annually, with more severe cases incurring higher costs. Productivity losses are expected to account for over 90% of these expenses, meaning employers nationwide will be impacted.

More questions than answers

Studies suggest that between 6% and 20% of individuals who contract COVID-19 go on to develop long COVID. We utilized this range in our model to estimate the number of people affected by long COVID and, consequently, their probabilities of experiencing various symptoms, along with associated healthcare costs and productivity losses.

Using the lower estimate of 6% and assuming long COVID symptoms last for one year, the annual cost amounts to $2.01 billion. Increasing this percentage to 10% raises the estimated annual burden to $3.4 billion.

Naturally, the longer symptoms persist, the greater the overall cost. The previously mentioned $8 billion burden for 2025-2027 was based on a 6% incidence of long COVID with symptoms lasting up to three years. This is likely still a conservative estimate, as many individuals who developed long COVID five to six years ago continue to experience symptoms with no foreseeable end. Furthermore, evidence indicates that long COVID is often underdiagnosed and underreported.

Currently, there are no effective treatments for long COVID, and management focuses on symptom control. It remains unclear if or when long COVID symptoms might resolve.

Additionally, there is a significant scarcity of long COVID treatment clinics, with insufficient facilities to meet the demand for specialized care.

Higher demands and few resources

Despite the absence of preventive measures and the ongoing need for more research, the U.S. is moving away from effective long COVID management.

For instance, amidst substantial funding reductions during President Donald Trump’s second term, the Department of Health and Human Services dissolved the Office of Long COVID Research in 2025 after only two years of operation. In the same year, the National Institutes of Health discontinued various funding initiatives aimed at studying potential causes and treatments for long COVID.

There is currently no clear national strategy for managing long COVID, or for COVID-19 in general. Recommendations regarding mask usage, indoor air quality, and annual vaccination eligibility have been vague and subject to frequent changes since 2021. These recommendations and regulations have also varied considerably across different organizations and states.

Without any interventions, the number of individuals experiencing long COVID is almost certain to increase, and those with persistent symptoms may continue to suffer and impose costs on society.

Our study highlights billions of compelling reasons why this situation is a significant problem.

Bruce Y. Lee, Professor of Health Policy and Management, City University of New York and Hannah Dimmick, Postdoctoral Researcher in Public Health, CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Public Policy

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.