Long COVID Justice and other advocates meet with U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC)

Long COVID Justice and other advocates recently met with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to share our perspectives and make recommendations. The meeting was organized by fellow advocates at Pan End It! and also included Mask Together America. Read our co-director JD Davids’ follow up letter to the CDC to learn more about our conversation.

S4HI endorses the Long COVID Research Moonshot Act

Strategies for High Impact (S4HI) has joined over 55 other groups to endorse the Long Covid Research Moonshot Act, which provides $10 billion over 10 years for the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), plus additional funding for related programs.

This bill will invest in much-needed research, treatment, care, and health education for LC and associated diseases. And we know that we’ll need to keep the pressure on and continue advocating for pandemic justice & health equity.

We’re calling for:

➡ significant patient and community involvement in all areas of the bill’s implementation including the Advisory Board - prioritizing voices from groups disproportionately affected by LC like Black, Latiné, trans, queer, and disabled people

➡ support for trials of therapeutics prioritized by post-viral experts and patient groups in the Long COVID, ME/CFS, and dysautonomia communities (don’t repeat the mistakes of the RECOVER trials!)

Learn more and take action:

• Learn about the organizing behind this campaign at LongCOVIDMoonshot.com

• Read this article from The Sick Times

• Use this script and call guide to ask your representatives to support the bill

Resist mask bans!

Our central project, Long COVID Justice, has created a new resource list for resisting mask bans. The list includes links to organizing toolkits, information about resistance efforts across the U.S., news coverage, and more.

Tell the CDC: New CDC COVID-19 isolation guidance weakens labor protections, discriminates against high-risk people, and does not match the science

Strategies for High Impact and our Long COVID Justice project have signed on to Pan End It’s new letter to CDC Director Mandy Cohen, which demands that the CDC take a strong stand for public health and resist political and corporate pressure to downplay the dangers of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The CDC’s recently revised COVID isolation guidance weakens labor protections, discriminates against high-risk people, and does not match the science. In response, this letter calls for the CDC to make changes including revising their shortened COVID isolation guidelines, working with other agencies in support of universal paid sick leave, emphasizing masking and testing as core prevention strategies, and publishing more specific information on high-risk conditions.

Use this template to add your name and send your own personalized letter to the CDC.

It's time to restore and expand the #Test2Treat program

The U.S. National Institute of Health (NIH)’s #Test2Treat pilot program for COVlD and flu saves lives. Strategies for High Impact and Long COVID Justice are strong supporters of this pilot program - join us in advocating for #Test2Treat!
 
#Test2Treat was designed to reduce disparities for the most at-risk populations, by offering FREE at-home tests, telehealth and treatment for both COVlD and flu. This program was recently ended even though 100 million people are eligible. Tests and treatment help our communities manage current sickness while helping prevent against #LongCOVID and #LongFlu.
 
Join us to ask the White House and government officials to restore, expand and widely promote #Test2Treat as a critical layer of protection for ALL:
Send a letter today via MaskTogetherAmerica.

We can’t talk about Long COVID without talking about ME/CFS

We can’t talk about Long COVID without talking about ME/CFS.

ME/CFS is Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (misnamed as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) – and studies show it may affect 50% of people with Long COVID. For ME Awareness Month, we’ve been gathering resources on care strategies, treatment, and advocacy.

Many people with Long COVID and associated diseases like ME/CFS are newly disabled, while others have been living with disability or complex chronic illness for a long time. And as in all our movements, these struggles are connected. As we’re fighting for pandemic justice, care and safety, we are also fighting for disability justice, health equity, body autonomy, racial and gender justice, healthcare not warfare, an end to genocides, and so much more.

NEW! Check out our ME resource list on our new webpage: longcovidjustice.org/me, or share our social post on Instagram or Facebook.