Long COVID: What We Are Doing to Learn More

At MDH

MDH was one of the first state health departments in the country to have a program and staff dedicated to long COVID and post-COVID conditions. In 2023, the State of Minnesota began funding the MDH Long COVID Program under law (Minn. Stat. §145.361). Program activities were expanded to include outgoing grants and contracts to organizations that serve communities disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, long COVID, and related conditions. Program activities have included:

• Raising awareness about long COVID and generating informational resources such as our Long COVID Resources and Support page.
• Partnering with community organizations that serve disabled, myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), low income, rural, American Indian, Latine, African American, African immigrant, Asian American, Asian immigrant, and LGBTQ+ communities throughout Minnesota to assess and address gaps in equity. These organizations reach thousands of individuals disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • More information can be found at Long COVID Funding Opportunities.
• Conducting phone surveys to assess the impacts of COVID-19 and the pandemic on the lives of Minnesotans. For more information, visit MDH Phone Surveys.
  • In 2023, MDH conducted a phone survey among adult Minnesotans with a known COVID-19 infection to learn about symptoms and experiences occurring three months or more after their infection. A total of 1,270 people completed the interview. Visit our data and reports page to learn more about the survey findings.
  • For more information about ongoing surveys, visit the MDH Phone Surveys page.
• Convening a Guiding Council of Minnesota clinicians who care for long COVID patients in primary and specialty care settings across the state.
• Engaging people with long COVID and their caregivers, local public health, employers, school nurses, and others to share information about long COVID, shape sector-specific resources, gauge unmet needs, and inform our efforts and priorities.
• Participating in national workgroups and conferences to increase coordination and awareness across public health agencies, communities, and sectors. 

Minnesota and beyond

Many research efforts are underway to improve understanding of the long-term impacts of COVID-19. Visit National Institutes of Health: RECOVER Initiative to read about clinical trials and other studies recruiting participants from Minnesota to study long COVID. 

Note: MDH is not involved in, nor endorses these research studies. 

Other Resources:

• The Office of Long COVID Research and Practice | HHS
• Long COVID | Veterans Health Library

Long COVID reports:

• Implementation of the Government-wide Response to Long COVID | HHS (PDF)
• National Research Action Plan on Long COVID | HHS (PDF)
• Services and Supports for Longer-Term Impacts of COVID-19 | HHS (PDF)
• Health + Long Covid Human-Centered Design Report | HHS (PDF)