Long COVID Among People With Preexisting Disabilities

Abstract

Objectives. To document the prevalence of long COVID among a sample of survey respondents with long-term disabilities that existed before 2020 and to compare the prevalence among this group with that among the general population. Methods. We conducted a cross-sectional, descriptive study using data from the 2022 National Survey on Health and Disability (n = 2262) and comparative data for the general population from the federal Household Pulse Survey (HPS). Results. The prevalence of long COVID was higher among people with preexisting disabilities than in the general population (40.6% vs 18.9%). Conclusions. People with preexisting disabilities experienced and continue to experience increased exposure to COVID-19 and barriers to accessing health care, COVID-19 vaccines, and COVID-19 tests. These barriers, combined with long-standing health disparities in this population, may have contributed to the greater prevalence of long COVID among people with disabilities. Public Health Implications. The needs of people with disabilities must be centered in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and future pandemics. ( Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print August 29, 2024:e1–e4. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2024.307794 )