While the list of
symptoms associated with long Covid continues to grow, some of the most common include extreme fatigue, cognitive difficulties referred to as “brain fog,” shortness of breath, headaches, joint and muscle pain, and sleep disruptions. Brown experiences many of those, along with additional long-term complications resulting from both her initial infection and subsequent intubation, including Covid-induced diabetes and high blood pressure, blood clots, and mobility issues.
Like many people across the country, Brown, a full-time corporate trainer who also serves as a minister at the
Citadel of Praise church in Detroit, was able to work remotely during the first part of the pandemic, but now is required to return to the office. Brown, for one, was lucky: her employer granted the workplace accommodations she requested — including a spot in a nearby parking garage, and permission to wear comfortable clothing to the office — that make it possible for her to perform the tasks required for her job. But even with those, her long Covid symptoms make it challenging to get through her commute, let alone a full workday.
Others with long Covid that
Rolling Stone has spoken with have made similar requests for workplace accommodations, only to have them rejected, and their concerns dismissed by employers. And that’s in addition to those with long Covid who are essential workers, or hold other positions that are impossible to do from home. Employees in all segments of the workforce have faced the decision of whether to continue working, putting their health even more at risk, or taking time off to heal — and risk losing their income, and potentially, their job.
That’s hardly surprising, though, given the expectation that people with long Covid simply return to work and press on — as if they’ve recently gotten over a nasty cold, instead of a virus that ravages every system in the human body.
