Long COVID and Health Inequities: The Role of Primary Care

Zackary Berger; Vivian Altiery DE Jesus; Sabrina A Assoumou; Trisha Greenhalgh

doi:10.1111/1468-0009.12505

Long COVID and Health Inequities: The Role of Primary Care

Milbank Q. 2021 Jun;99(2):519-541. doi: 10.1111/1468-0009.12505. Epub 2021 Mar 30.

Authors

Zackary Berger^{1

2}, Vivian Altiery DE Jesus³, Sabrina A Assoumou^{4

5}, Trisha Greenhalgh⁶

Affiliations

¹ Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
² Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics.
³ University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine.
⁴ Boston University School of Medicine.
⁵ Boston Medical Center.
⁶ University of Oxford.

Abstract

Policy Points An estimated 700,000 people in the United States have "long COVID," that is, symptoms of COVID-19 persisting beyond three weeks. COVID-19 and its long-term sequelae are strongly influenced by social determinants such as poverty and by structural inequalities such as racism and discrimination. Primary care providers are in a unique position to provide and coordinate care for vulnerable patients with long COVID. Policy measures should include strengthening primary care, optimizing data quality, and addressing the multiple nested domains of inequity.

MeSH terms

COVID-19 / complications*
COVID-19 / economics
COVID-19 / epidemiology
COVID-19 / physiopathology
Health Care Costs / statistics & numerical data
Health Status Disparities*
Humans
Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome
Poverty
Primary Health Care / organization & administration*
Racism
Social Determinants of Health*
United States / epidemiology