Scientists earn national recognition for study on long COVID's effect on people with disabilities

A 2024 study on long COVID among people with preexisting disabilities conducted by KU Life Span Institute researchers was recently recognized by a national association as the best paper of 2024. 

NARRTC, which promotes and supports disability research, selected the paper “Long COVID Among People With Preexisting Disabilities,” published by researchers at the Institute for Health and Disability Policy Studies (IHDPS) as research paper of the year. The research documented more than double the prevalence of long COVID among people with preexisting disabilities (40.6%) compared to the general population (18.9%). 

“We knew from previous research during the pandemic that people with pre-existing disabilities were having more difficulties getting the vaccines and were at higher risk of COVID-19 exposure,” said Jean Hall, lead author and retired director of the IHDPS. “So, we knew there were risk factors for COVID-19 among people with disabilities, but now we also know this demographic is more likely to experience long COVID.” 

Researchers relied on data from the 2022 National Survey on Health and Disability, an ongoing study at the University of Kansas that began in 2018. The research findings point to the need to address health disparities affecting people with disabilities, especially in the context of public health emergencies, and illustrate the importance of designing more inclusive health systems and data collection methods. 

People with disabilities “not only have higher rates of long COVID, but they also have greater barriers to care,” Hall said. “That’s something we really want people to know.”