A resource guide for Boston-area COVID long-haulers – The Boston Globe

Discovering a doctor

One of many largest hurdles for lengthy COVID sufferers is discovering a well being care skilled outfitted to look after them. Some within the medical discipline advocate beginning together with your main care doctor; they are going to be armed with the background of your medical historical past, which will help with analysis and therapy.

In the event you’re trying to find a brand new supplier, the COVID-19 Longhauler Advocacy Challenge has crowdsourced a listing of “COVID competent well being care suppliers” submitted by sufferers, which features a handful of Massachusetts physicians with a variety of specialties.

Enrolling in an extended COVID clinic

Plenty of clinics within the Boston space are devoted to sufferers affected by lengthy COVID. Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Heart, Boston Medical Heart, Brigham and Ladies’s Hospital, and Boston Youngsters’s Hospital are a few of the regional websites that present multidisciplinary care to these coping with the long-term impacts of COVID-19. Survivor Corps, a affected person advocacy group, has compiled a listing of post-COVID care facilities throughout the nation.

A few of these native hospitals are additionally collaborating in a nationwide examine of lengthy COVID led by the Nationwide Institutes of Well being, and are actively recruiting individuals. (To discover a examine and join, go to research.recovercovid.org.)

Making use of for monetary help

Monetary issues are high of thoughts for a lot of lengthy COVID sufferers, with a lack of revenue and skyrocketing medical payments being a standard results of the power situation. There aren’t any particular monetary help packages for lengthy COVID sufferers, however a lot of metropolis and state packages can be found to these struggling to make ends meet — together with residence heating and vitality help, SNAP advantages for meals prices, and housing help packages.

Becoming a member of a assist group

Physique Politic, a patient-led well being justice group, developed a COVID-19 assist group on Slack that’s now 11,000 members sturdy, with boards to debate particular illnesses, monetary issues, psychological well being struggles, and extra. (To see extra details about the group and request to affix, go to wearebodypolitic.com/covid-19.)

There are additionally a lot of Fb assist teams for these with lengthy COVID — together with specialised teams for BIPOC girls, individuals who have been by no means hospitalized, residents of particular states, and extra.

Securing work lodging

Lengthy COVID has pressured many individuals to go away or reduce on their jobs. Workforce lodging — which embody something from distant work capabilities to modified working hours to job reassignment — have the potential to maintain these with lengthy COVID employed. Since lengthy COVID may be categorised as a incapacity underneath the ADA, employees who’re long-haulers could also be entitled to sure office lodging, in response to the US Division of Labor. The Job Lodging Community is out there without cost consultations to assist folks decide what office flexibilities is likely to be out there to them. (Go to askjan.com to study extra.)

Making use of for Social Safety incapacity advantages

One of many final strains of protection for folks whose circumstances are anticipated to preclude work for at the least one 12 months is Social Safety incapacity advantages — both Social Safety Incapacity Insurance coverage (SSDI) or Supplemental Safety Earnings (SSI). As a result of nearly all of disabled-worker functions are denied, a lawyer will help handle your case.

The Nationwide Group of Social Safety Claimants’ Representatives — a bar group for legal professionals who signify folks attempting to get Social Safety incapacity advantages — operates a referral service for folks to be related with a lawyer close to them. (If you wish to discuss by your scenario with an lawyer, name 845-682-1881, or go to nosscr.org.)

Dana Gerber may be reached at dana.gerber@globe.com. Observe her on Twitter @danagerber6.