Tomorrow afternoon, patient-advocates living with Long COVID and other chronic diseases will be at the White House demanding that the federal government act urgently to address these conditions. ME Action, an advocacy group focused on myalgic encephalomyelitis or chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), is the leading organization behind the protest.
The protest’s demands include nationwide education on ME/CFS and Long COVID, education specifically for doctors in diagnosing these conditions, funding for research and potential treatments, and economic support for patients.
While the main event will take place in Washington, D.C., organizers are also encouraging people from other parts of the country to participate online. You can learn more about the event here. (I personally plan to watch and cover the protest remotely.)
Patient advocacy around Long COVID and related conditions like ME/CFS has grown mostly remotely over the last two years, so it’s a major milestone for patient groups to converge on the White House in an event like this one. For any journalists interested in covering the protest, feel free to email or DM me for background info, connections to organizers, etc!