Posted by Kate Sullivan, CNN
(CNN) – The Biden government on Monday released guidelines and resources to assist people suffering from the long-term effects of Covid-19, known as “long covid,” as the condition becomes a major, long-term public problem Health evolves.
The announcement came when President Joe Biden met Vice President Kamala Harris in the Rose Garden of the White House Jan.
Some people with long-term covid may have a disability under various civil rights laws that entitle them to protection from discrimination, as per guidelines from the Department of Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Health and Justice.
The administration also provided guidance that addresses the needs of children with long covid who may be children with disabilities and updated information on where people can access resources and shelter.
Long Covid or Post-Covid is an umbrella term that describes a variety of physical and psychological problems that, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, can occur four or more weeks after a Covid-19 infection.
Symptoms are inconsistent and it is not yet known how many people have the condition. Symptoms can include shortness of breath, tiredness, headache, fever, anxiety, depression, pain, loss of taste and smell, abnormal thinking, racing heart and many more.
During his presentation, Biden highlighted the work of disability advocates and also drew attention to the bipartisan roots of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The speech comes as the White House pushes for a bipartisan agreement in Congress to rebuild the country’s crumbling infrastructure. The fate of the bipartisan infrastructure framework currently hangs in the balance on Capitol Hill.
Biden on Monday touted the ADA as an essential piece of legislation for the more than 60 million Americans living with a disability, outlining how the legislation “had real real life implications,” the official said.
The President was expected to state that the law “prevented disabled Americans from being served in a restaurant or grocery store, allowed a person in a wheelchair to take a bus or train to work or school, and employers from doing so prevented from hiring workers because of a disability, “said a White House official who spoke to CNN ahead of the speech.
Biden was also expected to state that “too many disabled Americans still face obstacles to freedom and equality,” the official told CNN. The president will highlight the provisions in his economic proposals that address the needs of Americans with disabilities, including expanding access to long-term services and support for people with disabilities.
The president and vice president were accompanied by second gentleman Doug Emhoff, bipartisan leaders in Congress and advocates of the disability community. Biden also signed a proclamation marking the anniversary of the passage of the law.
The CNN Wire
™ & © 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia company. All rights reserved.
Comments are closed.