A recent article for The Hill stated, "The Biden administration on Monday released new guidance on how to support those experiencing long-term symptoms of COVID-19 as part of a broader effort to recognize the 31st anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act." With an individualized assessment, symptoms of chronic COVID-19 could now qualify as a disability under federal civil rights law according to the HHS, The Department of Health and Human Services. The same should apply to chronic Lyme patients, who also suffer with debilitating symptoms, such as chronic pain, sleep dysfunction, debilitating fatigue, and cognitive issues. According to a study done by scientists at GLA and Brown University, there are approximately two million people in the U.S. with post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome.
GLA's Director of Science and Research, Dr. Mayla Hsu, has discussed the similarities between COVID-19 and Lyme disease, stating, "Both are infectious diseases that any of us can catch. Both are diseases that emerged from wildlife. And it’s increasingly recognized that a subset of Covid-19 patients, like Lyme disease patients, suffers long-term debilitating symptoms that may take months or even longer to lift." Perhaps long COVID-19 will encourage lawmakers to take a second look at chronic Lyme disease and reevaluate previously held beliefs in the face of new information.
To read the rest of article from The Hill, click here.
To read the rest of Dr. Mayla Hsu's article, click here.