Why long Covid could cost the U.S. nearly $4 trillion

Long Covid is not just changing the lives of those affected, but proving to have a significant impact on the U.S. labor force and economy. About 25% of the roughly 16.3 million working-age Americans suffering from long Covid are out of work, and according to one estimate, long Covid could cost the U.S. as much as $3.7 trillion. In 2021, Congress allocated $1.15 billion to the National Institutes of Health to study the effects of the disease but many experts are saying that is not nearly enough.