Some people who recover from COVID-19 infections have developed a chronic health condition dubbed “long COVID.” Symptoms from long COVID can have a debilitating effect on a person’s ability to perform daily tasks. Many people who suffer from long COVID can experience symptoms for months after recovering from a COVID-19 infection. 

As a result, people who cannot work due to their long COVID symptoms might seek Social Security disability benefits. However, the medical complexity of long COVID can make it challenging to obtain benefits approval. 

Understanding Long COVID

“Long COVID” refers to a condition in which a person who had a COVID-19 infection continues to experience various symptoms after the infection subsides. Long COVID can last for weeks or months after a COVID-19 infection. Some of the commonly reported symptoms associated with long COVID include:

  • Chronic fatigue
  • Post-exertional malaise (fatigue that gets worse after physical or mental effort)
  • Joint or muscle pain
  • Recurring fevers
  • “Brain fog” (i.e., difficulty with concentration, memory, or cognitive tasks)
  • Shortness of breath
  • Chronic cough
  • Heart palpitations
  • Chronic headaches
  • Chest pain
  • Depression or anxiety
  • Insomnia or difficulty falling or staying asleep
  • Dizziness, especially when standing up
  • Changes in smell or taste
  • Stomach pain
  • Constipation
  • Diarrhea

Many of these symptoms can interfere with a person’s ability to work. For example, fatigue or post-exertional malaise can limit an individual’s endurance, requiring them to take frequent breaks or restricting their ability to work a full day. Joint or muscle pain and shortness of breath can also limit a person’s physical capabilities. “Brain fog” and sleeping problems can make it difficult for a person to focus on or complete work tasks. 

Unfortunately, doctors cannot diagnose long COVID through a laboratory test or determine whether a person’s symptoms stem from long COVID. Instead, doctors must consider a patient’s symptoms and their timeline to assess whether a patient has long COVID. Doctors cannot “cure” long COVID. Instead, they focus treatment on managing the debilitating effects of symptoms until they eventually subside.

Can You Qualify for Disability Benefits Due to Long COVID?

The Social Security Administration does not recognize long COVID as a “listed” condition that qualifies an individual for disability benefits. Instead, when someone applies for disability benefits due to long COVID, the SSA reviews their symptoms. They’ll determine whether long COVID symptoms equal or exceed the criteria for other listed conditions, including respiratory disorders or neurological conditions. They also decide if the symptoms stop the person from working enough to support themselves.

The Social Security Administration uses a five-step evaluation process to determine whether long COVID qualifies as a “disability.” When the SSA concludes at any step that an applicant’s condition qualifies as a disability, it will approve their application for disability benefits. However, if the applicant’s condition does not constitute a disability at any of the five stages, the SSA will deny their application. The five steps of the disability evaluation process include:

  • Whether the applicant works enough to earn income above the substantial gainful activity threshold
  • Whether the applicant has a “severe” impairment
  • Whether the applicant’s condition meets or equals a listed condition
  • Whether the applicant has the residual functional capacity to perform past jobs they’ve held
  • Whether the applicant’s residual functional capacity allows them to perform one or more jobs that exist in substantial numbers in the national economy

Challenges in Proving Long COVID Claims

The complexity of long COVID can create challenges when pursuing an SSDI claim based on that condition, including:

  • Lack of definitive medical tests that makes it challenging to obtain a formal diagnosis
  • Fluctuating severity of symptoms (i.e., having “good” and “bad” days)
  • “Invisible” symptoms not easily identified through diagnostic tests, such as fatigue or “brain fog”
  • Difficulty in documenting the functional limitations caused by long COVID symptoms
  • Incredulity that some claims examiners may hold regarding the existence or severity of long COVID
  • Credibility issues caused by reporting mostly subjective complaints
  • Issues with obtaining consistent medical treatment and documentation of symptoms, especially when doctors discharge patients to manage their symptoms at home
  • Challenges in meeting the durational requirement for Social Security disability (the condition must likely last for at least 12 months)

Evidence Needed for a Long COVID SSD Claim

To obtain SSDI for long COVID, applicants must submit substantial evidence to prove that their condition qualifies as a “disability.” Examples of evidence you might need to establish a long COVID claim include:

  • Medical evidence, including diagnostic test results, doctors’ notes, neurological evaluations, and medication records
  • Functional capacity evidence, which can document limitations in daily activities, such as the ability to concentrate, endurance for sitting, standing, or walking, physical strength, and dexterity 
  • Third-party statements from family members or employers regarding limitations caused by symptoms
  • Symptom diaries to track the frequency and severity of symptoms and document specific examples of how symptoms limit working ability or daily activities

How a Disability Lawyer Can Help with Long COVID Claims

Hiring an SSD lawyer to help with your claim can improve your chances of success. Your lawyer can handle the challenges of proving a long COVID claim by:

  • Gathering medical and non-medical evidence to establish a formal diagnosis and demonstrate the limitations caused by long COVID symptoms
  • Working with medical providers to develop the scope of a claimant’s residual functional capacity
  • Completing application paperwork to avoid delays or rejections
  • Responding to requests for additional information or documentation
  • Representing you during administrative appeal hearings

Contact Our Firm Today for Assistance

When symptoms of long COVID have become severe enough to prevent you from working, you may qualify for Social Security disability benefits. Contact Disability Advocates Group today for a free, no-obligation consultation with a Social Security disability attorney. We can explain more about your eligibility for disability benefits when the effects of long COVID render you unable to work.