NEW YORK (1010 WINS/ WCBS 880 NEWS) – The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene announced on Wednesday a multi-year study to research the long-term effects of COVID-19 on adults.
The Health Department is looking to recruit up to 10,000 participants and aims to follow up with them over several years, according to the release.
“We know that the end of an emergency must also be the beginning of a process of learning and understanding so we are better prepared and can support COVID survivors over time,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan. “This work – to study the long-term impacts of COVID on people’s health – will inform the future of care people receive. It will also develop our understanding of the disease and expand our knowledge of what people are experiencing, which can be confusing and disorienting without this understanding.”
This series of surveys will generate New York City-specific data on the long-term impacts of COVID-19, aiding policymakers and program planners in addressing the needs and challenges of those with lasting physical and mental health issues, according to the statement.
The Health Department will be working with community partners and organizations focused on long COVID research and advocacy, particularly those serving communities hit hardest by the pandemic.
“I want to assure New Yorkers recovering from COVID-19 or living with Long COVID that you are not alone—connections to care and other resources are a phone call away at 212-COVID19,” said Dr. Amanda K. Johnson, Director of AfterCare and Assistant Vice President of Ambulatory Care and Population Health at NYC Health + Hospitals. “AfterCare’s work contacting over a half million New Yorkers recovering from COVID-19 and the Health Department’s launch of a comprehensive study of the complex, multisymptomatic impacts of Long COVID will ensure no one in our city suffers in silence and that New Yorkers have access to the most helpful resources available.”
New Yorkers recovering from COVID-19 or Long COVID can be connected to care by calling 212-COVID19 to reach NYC Health + Hospitals AfterCare program.