Millions of Americans remain out of work due to long COVID, study finds

(CNN) – A new study has found that long COVID is preventing up to 4 million Americans from working.

The Brookings Institution estimates two to four million people are out of work due to long COVID, with 3 million full-time workers representing 1.8% of the entire U.S. civilian labor force.

The study said long COVID is a combination of symptoms that emerge months or even years after initially recovering from the virus.

People suffering from long COVID can face a range of symptoms that can make it challenging to work, including brain fog, anxiety, depression, fatigue and breathing problems.

The findings come as many industries struggle with severe labor shortages contributing to the worst inflation in four decades.

Brookings calls for government actions to ease the economic burden of long COVID, including better prevention and treatment and expanded paid sick leave.

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