The Economic Cost of Long COVID: An Update - David Cutler

2022, Paper: "In a 2020 JAMA Viewpoint, Lawrence Summers and I guessed at the possible economic costs of long COVID.1 At the time, we thought the cost might be $2.6 trillion. With more data, that estimate can be updated. I do so here. Background Many survivors of SARS-CoV-2 infection suffer “long COVID,” formally termed PostAcute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC). Data suggest that 22-38% of people with COVID will have at least one symptom 12 weeks after initial onset, and 12-17% will have three or more symptoms. With 80.5 million confirmed COVID cases in the United States, this implies at least 9.6 million people with three or more symptoms of long COVID. The most common symptom of long COVID is fatigue, but every organ system has been implicated."

HKS Faculty Author - David Cutler