Long Covid is keeping 2-4 million Americans out of workforce, report says

About 16 million working-age Americans have long-term Covid and 2-4 million are out of work because of its ill effects, according to a new report from the Brookings Institution.

The report found that about 16 million Americans between 18 and 65 have long Covid. Of these people, who are considered of working age, they estimate that 2 to 4 million are out of work because of their symptoms.

Brookings estimates that there are currently 10.6m unfilled jobs. The report estimates the dollar amount of the lost wages is between $170bn and $230bn a year.

Long Covid, defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as Covid-related symptoms that last three or more months after first contracting the virus, has turned out to be a complicated beast. It is hard to track and study as symptoms can vary from individual to individual. Symptoms can range from gastrointestinal issues to nerve pain and fatigue.

Estimates say the US workforce has decreased by between 3 million and 3.5 million people over the course of the pandemic.