Sanders Proposes 'Moonshot' Bill To Combat Long Covid Emergency
After seeking public comments on long Covid legislation, Bernie Sanders on Friday unveiled a bill to help tackle the crisis "that is affecting more than 22 million adults and 1 million children across the United States—and millions more around the globe." Via Common Dreams:
Long Covid "can include a wide range of ongoing symptoms and conditions that can last weeks, months, or even years" after an initial infection, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Symptoms can include brain fog, fatigue, heart palpitations, mood changes, muscle or joint pain, shortness of breath, and difficulty sleeping.
The Long Covid Research Moonshot Act of 2024 would provide the National Institutes of Health (NIH) with $1 billion in mandatory funding per year for a decade to support studies, the pursuit of treatments, and the expansion of care for U.S. patients impacted by the condition.
As Sanders' (I-Vt.) office highlighted, the bill would:
Require the NIH to establish a long Covid database, advisory board, and a new grant process that would accelerate clinical trials;
Fund information gathering and public health education;
Require any new treatments developed by the NIH to be reasonably priced so that every patient can receive it;