HHS Shuttering Long COVID Office

The Department of Health and Human Services, as part of its reorganization, is shuttering its long COVID office, according to an internal email sent by its department head.

Ian Simon, head of the Office of Long COVID Research and Practice, did not tell the office's staff if they would remain employed by the federal government. He also did not give a timeline for the office closure, reported Politico, which said it observed the email.

"We are writing to let you know that the Office of Long COVID Research and Practice will be closing as part of the administration's reorganization coming this week," Simon said in the email. "We are proud of what we have accomplished together, advancing understanding, resources, and support for people living with Long COVID."

An HHS employee, granted anonymity to discuss the matter, said that closing the office will cost more over time because of duplicated efforts, and because the country's healthcare system will provide years of expensive care for tens of millions of people who remain chronically ill.

"We did the not-sexy, behind-the-scenes work that it takes to make the federal government function well," the office staffer said. "We made sure doctors at the VA are talking to scientists and researchers and epidemiologists at CDC and NIH — that they're learning from each other. It was a very, very cost-effective way to make sure that people are talking to each other and that we're making the best use of federal resources."

The staffer said that, as far as the office has been told, the current plan is to continue the NIH's more than $1 billion in RECOVER Initiative funding for clinical trials on long COVID. However, closing the office will hurt the communication among researchers and will hinder social services for patients.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 6% of adults in the United States suffer from long COVID. The National Institutes of Health, meanwhile, believes that as many as 23 million people suffer anywhere from mild to debilitating forms of the disease.

Advocates for long COVID patients say they are outraged at the decision to close the office. They also say that the decision contradicts promises from HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to senators during his confirmation and his pledges to focus on chronic disease.

The long COVID office, which has been housed within the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, was established in 2023. Its focus is to help government agencies and HHS leaders address long COVID while coordinating a government-wide strategy on the illness.

"The decision to abandon long COVID efforts that support and improve care for the millions of Americans suffering from this condition is unacceptable," Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., who has long COVID, told Politico. "For what — to cut costs to pay for enormous tax breaks for the rich?"