Nearly 1 in 4 American Adults Who Get COVID-19 Suffer From Long COVID

• 24.4% of Americans ages 18 and over who have received a positive COVID-19 test or diagnosis have experienced symptoms of COVID-19 that persisted for three months or longer.
  
  
• 34% of adults in Oklahoma who had COVID-19 have experienced long COVID, the highest rate of any state population in the U.S.
  
  
• Long COVID has affected two out of every five adults afflicted by COVID-19 in Los Angeles and Atlanta.
  
  
• 31% of those affected by long COVID report that the symptoms have reduced their ability to carry out daily activities.

Most people who come down with COVID-19 symptoms are back on their feet within a week or two. But a staggering 24% of U.S. adults who received a positive COVID-19 test or diagnosis report symptoms that lasted three months or longer.

That’s according to our analysis of November data from the U.S. Census Bureau Household Pulse Survey. In this report, we highlight the states and major cities where the highest percentages of residents report the effects of long COVID. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines long COVID as “the continuation or development of new symptoms three months after the initial SARS-CoV-2 infection, with these symptoms lasting for at least two months with no other explanation.”

The table below shows the percentage of adults in each state who have tested positive or been diagnosed with COVID-19 and have experienced symptoms lasting longer than three months.

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The table below shows the percentage of adults reporting long COVID in the 14 largest major metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs).

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Nearly one out of three people who reported suffering from long COVID said their symptoms have reduced their ability to carry out daily activities.

More than half of those with long COVID in Hawaii reported difficulty carrying out daily activities, and more than two out of five long COVID sufferers in Mississippi and Oregon reported the same.

The table below shows the percentage of people with long COVID in each state who said their symptoms have reduced their ability to carry out daily activities.

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Similarly, the table below shows the rates of adults with long COVID in 14 major metro areas who said their symptoms have reduced their ability to carry out daily activities.

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A 2022 study from Brookings found that long COVID could be responsible for keeping as many as four million people out of work, or roughly 15% of the labor shortage.

The total economic cost of long COVID has been estimated to be as high as $3.7 trillion, or 17% of the 2019 U.S. gross domestic product (GDP).

It’s not yet known what causes long COVID, but researchers do have some clues. Potential causes include:

• Reactivation of SARS-CoV-2 particles
• Overactive immune cells releasing a high level of inflammatory substances that can damage organs and tissues
• Production of autoantibodies that attack the body in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection

Symptoms of long COVID, also called Post-COVID Conditions (PCC), can include:

• Fatigue
• Fever
• “Brain fog”
• Shortness of breath
• Cough
• Chest pain
• Heart palpitations
• Headaches and dizziness 
• Changes in smell or taste
• Stomach pain and diarrhea
• Joint and muscle pain

Those who suffer from long COVID are often referred to as “long haulers,” and according to the CDC, studies have shown certain groups of people may be at an increased risk:

• People who have experienced a more severe case of COVID-19
• Those who had underlying conditions prior to infection
• Those who did not receive a COVID-19 vaccine

Studies have found depleted serotonin levels in long COVID patients, which may be a cause of the “brain fog,” or neurocognitive difficulties that many people with long COVID report. Other studies have pointed to a link between COVID-19 infections and accelerated brain deterioration among those with dementia.

The data used for this report came from the U.S. Census Bureau Household Pulse Survey, specifically Week 63 (Nov 8, 2023), the most recent data available.