In the last year, all of our lives have been severely disrupted. With over a half million people dead from Covid-19, many others who have survived this pandemic are left with disabling symptoms, and doctors do not know how long these symptoms will last or if they may be permanent.
According to the CDC, “While most persons with COVID-19 recover and return to normal health, some patients can have symptoms that can last for weeks or even months after recovery from acute illness. Even people who are not hospitalized and who have mild illness can experience persistent or late symptoms. Multi-year studies are underway to further investigate. CDC continues to work to identify how common these symptoms are, who is most likely to get them, and whether these symptoms eventually resolve.”
Originally thought to basically be a pulmonary virus, we now know that Covid-19 may adversely affect many other organs in the human body. Long after there are no signs of infection, survivors of this virus report fatigue, shortness of breath, chest pain, brain fog (difficulty concentrating), headaches, heart palpitations, joint and muscle pain, fever, and depression. More serious effects from Covid-19 include inflammation of the heart muscle, acute kidney injury, lung ailments, and lingering rashes. There have also been reported neurological and psychological symptoms including trouble sleeping, loss of taste and smell, mood changes and memory problems.
In addition to the vast unemployment due to the closing of businesses, many Covid-19 survivors cannot return to work even though they still may have jobs waiting for them. Those people may want to find out if their employer has provided a Long-Term Disability Plan as part of their overall corporate benefits plan. If so, an individual suffering from lingering and disabling Covid-19 symptoms may be eligible to receive those benefits.
At The DeHaan Law Firm, we focus specifically on employer-sponsored disability plans. Should you be unable to return to work, and have a Long-Term Disability Plan available to you, The DeHaan Law Firm can provide you with a case assessment, free-of-charge. Contact us at 631-582-1200.