Cambridge, MA, Jan. 26, 2023―A new study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) found that 7 percent of workers with COVID-19 claims received treatment for long COVID after the acute period of the infection. While long COVID prevalence was the highest among workers who were hospitalized during an acute stage of disease, even some workers with limited medical care early after the infection developed long COVID symptoms. 

“While most patients infected with COVID-19 recover quickly, some patients do not return to their usual state of health and experience a wide variety of recurring or new symptoms and complications months after the initial infection period,” said John Ruser, CEO and president of WCRI.

The study, Long COVID in the Workers’ Compensation System Early in the Pandemic, examined the prevalence of long COVID among COVID-19 workers’ compensation claims with infections that occurred in the first months of the pandemic. The study addresses the following questions:

• How often do workers with COVID-19 receive medical care beyond a short quarantine and/or recovery period?
• What is the prevalence of long COVID symptoms among workers with COVID-19?
• What are the industry and worker characteristics associated with long COVID?
• How do rates of long COVID vary across states?

The analysis includes COVID-19 cases reported with a date of infection between March 1, 2020, and September 30, 2020. For each claim, we collected information on indemnity benefits and payments for medical care that occurred through March 31, 2021.

Click here to learn more about this study or to purchase a copy. Bogdan Savych authored this study.

About WCRI

The Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) is an independent, not-for-profit research organization based in Cambridge, MA. Organized in 1983, the Institute does not take positions on the issues it researches; rather, it provides information obtained through studies and data collection efforts, which conform to recognized scientific methods. Objectivity is further ensured through rigorous, unbiased peer review procedures. WCRI's diverse membership includes employers; insurers; governmental entities; managed care companies; health care providers; insurance regulators; state labor organizations; and state administrative agencies in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

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