Federal Reserve Blog Post on Long Covid and ME/CFS

[Rich D]

I’m an economist with the Federal Reserve, and I have ME/CFS. I put out a blog post today Long COVID Appears to Have Led to a Surge of the Disabled in the Workplace - Liberty Street Economics (newyorkfed.org) mostly about long Covid, and I tied it to ME/CFS as best I could. I write about how there has been a large increase in the disabled population since the pandemic began, driven by long Covid, and many of the newly disabled are continuing to work, and may require workplace accommodations. I mention that I have ME/CFS, and how it is similar. I am trying to raise awareness by using myself as an example of someone with ME/CFS, and highlighting accommodations in the workplace that help people like me, and presumably can help at least some people with long Covid.

 

[Pyrrhus]

I put out a blog post today Long COVID Appears to Have Led to a Surge of the Disabled in the Workplace - Liberty Street Economics (newyorkfed.org) mostly about long Covid, and I tied it to ME/CFS as best I could.

Excellent job! It's great to have people like you on "the inside" where the decision makers are!

Especially while the media are trying to play up "the Great Resignation" as some sort of cultural phenomenon...

 

[Pyrrhus]

@Murph you may be interested in this one...

 

[lenora]

HI @Rich D......Thanks for trying to make a difference. I keep trying to get this point across. What you're writing about doesn't have to be a masterpience, but it does get our name out in the forefront of the groups of other people.

Most just hear Long Covid and never the other illnesses (OK, syndromes) that preceded it. Good for you. Lenora

 

[Rufous McKinney]

highlighting accommodations in the workplace that help people like me, and presumably can help at least some people with long Covid.

thank you for posting this...

I worked a career with ME (mild) but worsened over the last few years and I was able to use federally protected sick leave program to use my sick leave to "accommodate" my ongoing illness and help me manage it.

I had many hours of sick leave, but you can't use it without "doctor notes". And calling in at 8 am to say your sick (and that was difficultfor me to do, when ME sick) (and PEM crashed).

I also was no longer able to drive- a huge issue for some of our other employees with vision problems.

I'm sure it can be very helpful for folks with mild symptoms (which may not "feel mild" during a crash or PEM event..)

 

[Rich D]

HI @Rich D......Thanks for trying to make a difference. I keep trying to get this point across. What you're writing about doesn't have to be a masterpience, but it does get our name out in the forefront of the groups of other people.

Most just hear Long Covid and never the other illnesses (OK, syndromes) that preceded it. Good for you. Lenora

You got it exactly! This was my thinking.

 

[Rich D]

thank you for posting this...

I worked a career with ME (mild) but worsened over the last few years and I was able to use federally protected sick leave program to use my sick leave to "accommodate" my ongoing illness and help me manage it.

I had many hours of sick leave, but you can't use it without "doctor notes". And calling in at 8 am to say your sick (and that was difficultfor me to do, when ME sick) (and PEM crashed).

I also was no longer able to drive- a huge issue for some of our other employees with vision problems.

I'm sure it can be very helpful for folks with mild symptoms (which may not "feel mild" during a crash or PEM event..)

Yeah, I totally get it. I feel lucky that I have a research job that I can do remotely. Many are not so lucky.

 

[Rufous McKinney]

that I have a research job that I can do remotely.

I worked remotely also. It's probably is the only reason I was successful in being able to pace enough that I could persevere...despite the ME which was "mild" at that time, but not fun. If I was in an office every day for 8-10 hours, I would have fallen over somewhere and never gotten back up again...

Super simple stuff:

I can't eat early in the morning due to ongoing nausea and IBS issues.

I have cystitis, and my bladder doesn't; work properly, a problem in an office which isn't one when you work by yourself and sit next to the bathroom door.

Food is there, when I need food. Diet more and more restricted...eating lunch out with the co-workers from The Office- bad for digestion.

don't bother with getting dressed, showers, personal maintenance which costs energy. Nobody is seeing me so it doesn't matter....

Everything about having to drive to somewhere else before your day even starts........

 

[Murph]

Nice one @Rich D !
I also work remotely. Have done for about a decade now. I've had office jobs four times and they nearly killed me. I think the reason I gravitated to economics journalism and away from a job like Rich's is that in journalism freelancing from home has always been an accepted way of working.

Yesterday however was Australia's federal budget, I spent all day inside Parliament House. by the end I was a wreck, desperately trying to find a way to put my feet up on the furniture and get enough liquids in my I didn't faint.

 

[YippeeKi YOW !!]

I’m an economist with the Federal Reserve, and I have ME/CFS. I put out a blog post today Long COVID Appears to Have Led to a Surge of the Disabled in the Workplace - Liberty Street Economics (newyorkfed.org) mostly about long Covid, and I tied it to ME/CFS as best I could.

XLNT, XLNT work, @Rich D , and thank you for the considerable effort you put into your report, as well as the clever, well-crafted way that you wove ME into the dialogue !!!

Given the level of responsiveness of the Fed generally, I have limited hopes, but am deeply impressed by your work on this none the less ....

 

[andyguitar]

I write about how there has been a large increase in the disabled population since the pandemic began, driven by long Covid, and many of the newly disabled are continuing to work, and may require workplace accommodations.

Yes, and over here in the UK the number of workers who are ill due to long covid is significant. What should happen is that their employers make what you call work place accommodations. But will they? Only if they look at what people can do instead of the negative view of what they cant do. It needs a change in outlook. Could be a bit of a long haul. But hats off to you @Rich D for raising the issue

 

[BrightCandle]

Yes, and over here in the UK the number of workers who are ill due to long covid is significant. What should happen is that their employers make what you call work place accommodations. But will they? Only if they look at what people can do instead of the negative view of what they cant do. It needs a change in outlook. Could be a bit of a long haul. But hats off to you @Rich D for raising the issue

My union friend is dealing with this a lot now, lots of people are hitting the 2 years of illness and getting assessed for returns to work, they aren't fit. The problem with the significant cognitive problems is that office work is all but impossible, its one thing to do things from a medical bed if its just physical but its not. They are all getting fired. Long haulers/ME/CFS patients are often just too ill to do anything of use to many companies.