Many people continue to experience symptoms of COVID-19 for months after their initial infection. These extended symptoms, or new symptoms that arise after the initial infection is over, are known as long COVID-19, post-COVID-19 syndrome, or long-haul COVID-19.

Long COVID-19 symptoms are causing difficulty in the workplace. One U.S.-based study of 195 people who were hospitalized for COVID-19 found that 40 percent had not yet returned to work two months after their hospitalization. While some stated this was due to job loss, others stated that they had not yet rejoined the workforce as a result of ongoing symptoms.

Another preprint (not yet peer-reviewed) study surveyed 2,550 people, mostly in the U.K., who had long COVID-19. An average of seven months into their long COVID-19 symptoms, more than 75 percent reported that these symptoms affected their ability to work. A third of survey respondents had lost income due to COVID-19 health issues, and two-thirds had to take time off from their jobs.

Long COVID-19 Symptoms That Affect Work

People with long COVID-19 can experience a variety of chronic or recurring symptoms. These may include:

• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Shortness of breath
• Pain, including chest pain and generalized muscle pain
• Complications involving the lungs, gastrointestinal tract, heart, or kidneys
• Rashes or sores on the skin
• Mental health challenges
• Difficulty with concentration and memory (sometimes referred to as “brain fog”)

A summary of long COVID-19 studies from around the world noted that fatigue is the most commonly reported symptom. Chronic fatigue has the potential to directly affect productivity at work. Other symptoms of long COVID-19 like pain, headaches, and issues with concentration and memory can also lead to difficulties at work.

Impact of Long COVID-19 on the Workplace

Coupled with the economic and business impacts of the pandemic in general, work challenges due to long COVID-19 symptoms may lead to profound and long-lasting effects felt across industries. Business leaders have pointed out a host of ways in which the pandemic has affected companies large and small. Many report workforce shortages, due to layoffs early in the pandemic and early retirements later on.

On an individual level, people experiencing long COVID-19 may feel pressured to remain working full-time, despite symptoms that limit their ability and productivity. This has the potential to cause a broad productivity decline for some businesses.

Work Accommodations for Long COVID-19

Being sensitive to accommodations for people who may be experiencing long COVID-19 is beneficial to businesses for a variety of reasons. The importance of accommodating disability in the workplace is clear not only in terms of equity, but also in terms of maximizing a trained workforce. Around the world, employers are finding more ways to be flexible and accommodating for their employees with long COVID-19, including offering remote work, adjusted job duties, adaptive equipment, and longer breaks.

Of course not every job can be modified in these ways, and not all employers are willing to be flexible. If you are experiencing work challenges due to long COVID-19 symptoms, consider discussing possible accommodations with your employer. They may be able to change your schedule or duties while you recover. They may also have adaptive equipment that can make you more comfortable or productive while you’re at work.

You can also ask your health care team about treatments and strategies to help you manage your symptoms at work. Your doctor can take an occupational health assessment to help you identify when it is safe for you to resume your work duties and how to address any health issues that interfere with your job. Treatment options such as physical and occupational therapy, mental health counseling, and medication for respiratory symptoms may help restore your energy and productivity.

Reduced Work Hours

If you are fatigued from long COVID-19, you may benefit from shorter shifts or reduced hours at work. Taking more breaks or extended break periods may give you some relief as you go back to work. Ask your employer about these accommodations, as this kind of scheduling can be a way for a company to continue to harness the value of skilled employees.

Modified Duties

For people experiencing fatigue or weakness, a common-sense solution is finding ways to reduce physical activity and exertion. Perhaps your employer has an alternate position that may be clerical, administrative, or supervisory rather than physically challenging. A change in job duties allows your employer to retain your services and experience.

Change of Location

Travel to and from your job can add to the challenge of working if you are struggling with health challenges from long COVID-19. If there are ways to reduce your commute, including working remotely from home, this can be a way to efficiently maximize your work time.

Flexibility With Ongoing Changes

The course of long COVID-19 is not always predictable. One preprint (not yet peer-reviewed) study found that 57.7 percent of those with long COVID-19 reported fluctuating symptoms. You may have some days where you feel “back to normal” and other days when it is hard to focus or get through the workday.

Employers should be aware that people experiencing long COVID-19 may experience relapses of debilitating symptoms. Flexibility is an important element of supporting people with long COVID-19 at work.

Try to work directly with your employer to identify specific challenges you are facing, and implement creative solutions in a collaborative fashion.

Post-Intensive Care Syndrome

Some survivors of COVID-19 who were hospitalized in intensive care may experience post-intensive care syndrome (PICS). PICS can include a constellation of symptoms including weakness, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and difficulties with attention, concentration, memory, thinking speed, and decision-making. Research shows that 50 percent to 70 percent of people who require intensive care while hospitalized develop one of these symptoms, and 20 percent develop more than one.

People who were in intensive care for COVID-19 may be experiencing any combination of these PICS symptoms as they attempt to return to work, in addition to those of long COVID-19. These symptoms can have an additive effect on each other, potentially increasing their severity.

If you were in the intensive care unit for COVID-19 and you are noticing these symptoms, talk to your health care provider for help with managing them.

Other Chronic Conditions

You may also have other health conditions that might be exacerbated by the symptoms of long COVID-19. For example, since asthma can affect breathing and limit endurance, someone who has asthma and also experienced COVID-19 may experience more severe asthma symptoms than they previously did. People with chronic health conditions, such as heart conditions and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), need to be monitored carefully by their health care team in the months after a COVID-19 diagnosis.

Your employer may be able to make accommodations for your other health conditions as well as your long COVID-19 symptoms. Communicate with them and with your health care team about your needs and any workplace difficulties you encounter.

Long COVID-19 and Disability

In light of the range of potentially debilitating symptoms with long COVID-19, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has defined long COVID-19 as a potential disability. A disability can be defined in the U.S. as a condition that “substantially limits a major life activity.” Whether any person with long COVID-19 qualifies for disability benefits must be decided on a case by case basis.

If you believe that long COVID-19 has limited your abilities, including your abilities at home or work, you may ask your primary health care provider if applying for disability may be an option. Only a health care provider can certify if someone is experiencing a disability, after a careful examination of their physical health history and present status.

If long COVID-19 has affected your ability to perform daily activities, your work life, or your overall well-being, talk with your primary health provider about support and solutions.

Talk With Others Who Understand

On myCOVIDteam, the social network for people with COVID-19 and their loved ones, members come together to ask questions, give advice, and share their stories with others who understand life with COVID-19.

Have you faced challenges at work due to long COVID-19 symptoms? Share your experience in the comments below, or start a conversation by posting on your Activities page.