Bill Cassidy - Ranking Member of the Senate HELP Committee | Official U.S. Senate headshot
Bill Cassidy - Ranking Member of the Senate HELP Committee | Official U.S. Senate headshot
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, emphasized the need for more research on long COVID during today's hearing.
"COVID-19 had a devastating impact on every community. It has killed over a million Americans, hospitalized more," Cassidy stated. He acknowledged that while the majority of individuals recover fully from COVID, there is a significant portion of the population experiencing symptoms and effects for extended periods, known as long COVID.
Cassidy stressed the importance of understanding the causes of long COVID and finding solutions. "Improving research into preventing long COVID and creating effective treatments will help improve the outcomes of patients," he said. Additionally, he highlighted the potential for this research to benefit other illnesses and shed light on post-viral conditions that have not received adequate attention from federal research programs.
In 2020, Congress allocated over $1 billion to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for long COVID research. However, concerns have been raised about the effectiveness of the National Institutes of Health's Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) Initiative. Cassidy emphasized the need to reauthorize the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA) to address these issues and enhance the nation's long COVID research.
During the hearing, nonfederal experts working on RECOVER and other HHS-funded projects shared their findings and insights on long COVID. The committee also heard from patients who have personally experienced the condition, providing valuable perspectives on its impact.
Cassidy expressed his gratitude to the committee for examining the issue and looked forward to hearing from the witnesses about how to better address long COVID.
This hearing aims to raise awareness about the realities of long COVID and help both patients and healthcare providers recognize its symptoms. By continuing to invest in research and understanding the complexities of long COVID, there is hope for improved outcomes and treatments for those affected.
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