Although studies indicate that individuals suffering from long COVID experience higher rates of unemployment, the data fails to capture the struggles they endure prior to reducing their work hours, leaving their jobs, or being terminated. A recent investigation by researchers at The Ohio State University, which involved interviews with long COVID patients, reveals the extensive impact of this persistent illness on both their employment and overall quality of life.
Although studies indicate that individuals suffering from long COVID experience higher rates of unemployment, the data fails to capture the struggles they endure prior to reducing their work hours, leaving their jobs, or being terminated.
In a recent study that included interviews with individuals affected by long COVID, researchers from The Ohio State University explored how this extended illness has influenced not only the employment status of patients but also their general well-being.
In addition to experiencing symptoms such as cognitive difficulties, tiredness, physical weakness, and headaches, interviewees mentioned feeling too drained to engage in any activities post-work, facing financial losses, and incurring increased insurance costs when their employment status changed. They also shared the emotional distress tied to managing a condition that is often not understood by others.
“For many of the individuals we spoke with, their lives have been dramatically altered due to this chronic health issue. This has fundamentally changed their self-perception, their life experiences, family interactions, and their ability to provide for their families,” stated Sarah MacEwan, the lead author and an assistant professor of general internal medicine at Ohio State’s College of Medicine.
“In some instances, severe financial instability has disrupted their entire lives. They face extremely tough decisions while also trying to care for themselves. It’s vital that we listen to their experiences, so we can enhance the support we provide,” she added.
Recognizing these job-related difficulties can enable healthcare providers to deliver more comprehensive care to those dealing with long COVID, according to the researchers. This could involve directing patients towards financial help, referring them to mental health services, or fast-tracking requests for workplace adjustments.
The findings have recently been published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
In late summer 2022, MacEwan and her team conducted individual interviews with 21 adult patients at the post-COVID recovery clinic at Ohio State Wexner Medical Center. These participants reported that they had been managing well in day-to-day life before contracting COVID-19, but they faced ongoing symptoms for three months or more following their initial infection. The age of participants ranged from 19 to 68, with three-quarters being women, most of whom had their first encounter with the SARS-CoV-2 virus in 2020.
The patients indicated that their illness affected both their job duties and their ability to maintain a work-life balance.
“Some decided to quit their jobs because they could no longer manage working. Others reduced their hours or were laid off due to their symptoms,” MacEwan explained, who is also an investigator in the Center for the Advancement of Team Science, Analytics, and Systems Thinking in Health Services and Implementation Science Research at Ohio State.
The financial and emotional consequences were significant. Many faced loss of income due to an inability to work, shifting to lower-paying positions, or reducing their hours. Those who changed their insurance status often found themselves paying more for less comprehensive coverage, all while needing additional care due to their ongoing health issues.
Participants also expressed feelings of losing their identity in both their professional and personal lives, as well as anxiety about being judged and stigmatized in their workplaces and social circles. The research team previously noted that some patients encountered skepticism in healthcare environments.
“One insight from our study is that individuals often feel disbelieved by their healthcare providers regarding their symptoms, or they are dismissed or redirected to other diagnoses that don’t accurately represent their situation,” MacEwan commented. “It raises questions about whether they are receiving the appropriate care from the providers they can access.”
This article also examined how patients adapted their daily routines, finding coping mechanisms on their own or receiving suggestions from their care teams while utilizing employer disability benefits and requesting workplace accommodations.
“Some individuals devised their own strategies, but it was encouraging to hear that many also received excellent advice from specialists or therapists they were consulting with,” MacEwan remarked.
Participants mentioned employing various methods such as taking regular breaks, minimizing distractions, creating task lists, sending themselves email updates on completed tasks, using visual cues on whiteboards, or verbalizing their task lists to themselves. Healthcare providers sometimes encouraged them to explore short- or long-term disability benefits or request workplace accommodations like remote work options and flexible hours. However, many participants reported that initial support from their employers gradually diminished.
Long COVID has been federally acknowledged as a possible disability status, which offers some job protection for affected individuals. The study’s authors emphasized that healthcare providers ought to consider how recommendations for rest and pacing might impact employment, finances, and mental health, and be prepared to connect patients with resources to address the challenges of making complex decisions in their lives.
“It’s essential to use real experiences to gain insight into the needs of this population rather than making assumptions. Many effective solutions are already available, and individuals with other chronic conditions have devised strategies to tackle similar issues,” MacEwan noted. “Thus, we don’t necessarily need to reinvent the wheel, but it is crucial to identify needs and take steps to bridge gaps in support.”
This research was funded by a grant from the National Cancer Institute.
Co-authors involved in this study from Ohio State include Saurabh Rahurkar, Willi Tarver, Leanna Perez Eiterman, Halia Melnyk, Ramona Olvera, Jennifer Eramo, Lauren Teuschler, Alice Gaughan, Laura Rush, Stacy Stanwick, Susan Bowman Burpee, Erin McConnell, Andrew Schamess, and Ann Scheck McAlearney.
