Managing long-COVID cases could cost US employers $1.99 billion to $6.49 billion annually, according to a new model published yesterday in the Journal of Infectious Diseases. The model estimates current and future financial burdens related to long COVID, which affects an estimated 44.7 million to 48.0 million Americans.
The model took into account the clinical course, health effects, and associated costs of a person with long COVID for 1 year. On average, it assumes each person would cost $5,084 to $11,646, with men accounting for $9,432 in productivity losses (24% absenteeism and 76% presenteeism). Approximately 92.5% to 95.2% of these costs come from productivity losses.
$2 billion annually
Using current estimates of US long-COVID burden (assuming the probability of long COVID is 6% and symptoms last 1 year), cases cost an average of $2.01 billion annually. The economic burden of long COVID already surpasses that of carpal tunnel, Lyme disease, and psoriasis, the authors said, and is likely to continue to grow.
Long COVID could end up costing US society $2.01 billion to $6.56 billion, employers at least $1.99 billion to $6.49 billion, and third-party payers $21.0 million to 68.5 million annually.
Since the SARS-CoV-2 virus is expected to continue circulating throughout the U.S., the number of people suffering from Long COVID will continue to grow with each passing year.
“Since the SARS-CoV-2 virus is expected to continue circulating throughout the U.S., the number of people suffering from Long COVID will continue to grow with each passing year, adding to the already significant total that has resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic. If the incidence of COVID is 100 per 10,000 persons (similar to that seen in 2023),” the authors said, "Every 10-point increase in COVID incidence results in an additional $365 million in total costs.”