The state of physical medicine: Reminders that the pandemic still affects some patients

Despite affecting millions of Americans, long COVID-19 care has become harder to access in some ways as public attention to the pandemic has faded, with policy makers and health care supporters increasingly moving on even as many patients continue to suffer lasting effects. John C. Cianca, M.D., FAAPMR, president of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation notes that the situation is particularly concerning for patients who were already living with disabilities before contracting COVID-19, who may have been disproportionately affected, and that the medical community must continue pressing for recognition and resources for long COVID patients rather than allowing the condition to be forgotten.

Medical Economics: How would you describe the current state of care, so to speak, for patient, for those patients who are dealing with long COVID in the U.S. health care system?

John C. Cianca, M.D., FAAPMR: Well, I'd have to say this is more of an estimate, because I am not really on the front line there, but what I've gathered is it's actually probably somewhat harder, because people have forgotten about it, and I say that meaning the people who didn't have COVID-19, the people who are responsible for supporting health care in that setting. We're having to remind people, look, this is a this is something that happened. Yes, it killed millions of people, but it also affected millions and millions more, and there's fallout from that. We have to remember, we have to keep the edge, so to speak, on care and recognition of these potential problems and what it amounts to. And in particular, with respect to the people that we had already treated, the disabled, in large part, it affected them even more, or could have affected them even more. So, it's an ongoing issue, and I would say, not necessarily easier than it was in terms of the peripherals to getting care and accessing care.