Trump administration shuttering long Covid office
The Trump administration is shuttering HHS' long Covid office as part of its reorganization, according to an internal email seen by POLITICO.
The email was sent Monday by Ian Simon, the head of the Office of Long Covid Research and Practice. It said the closing is part of the Department of Health and Human Services' reorganization.
The office's handful of staff were not told whether they would remain employed in the federal government or whether the office would close immediately or wind down operations over time.
'We are writing to let you know that the Office of Long COVID Research and Practice will be closing as part of the administration's reorganization coming this week,' the email reads. 'We are proud of what we have accomplished together advancing understanding, resources, and support for people living with Long COVID.'
One HHS employee who works on long Covid, granted anonymity to share details of the move, argued closing the office would not save much money and could cost more over time. Not only could suspending the office's coordination work lead to overlapping and duplicated efforts, the employee said, but also abandoning work that could cure long Covid means the country's health care system will have to provide years if not decades of costly care for millions of chronically ill people.
'We did the not-sexy, behind-the-scenes work that it takes to make the federal government function well,' the staffer said. 'We made sure doctors at the VA are talking to scientists and researchers and epidemiologists at CDC and NIH — that they're learning from each other. It was a very, very cost effective way to make sure that people are talking to each other and that we're making the best use of federal resources.'
The decision appears to contradict promises that HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made during his confirmation hearing
to prioritize long Covid research
and his repeated pledge to focus on chronic diseases.
'It is very disappointing and risks undoing a lot of the progress that has been made to address the crisis,' one former senior HHS official, granted anonymity to speak candidly, told POLITICO.
A spokesperson for HHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
OLC, housed within the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, was established in 2023 and tasked with helping other agencies and HHS leadership address long Covid and coordinating a government-wide long Covid strategy. Last month, the Trump administration
directed HHS to terminate the Federal Advisory Committee on Long Covid
.
'While our office is closing, we hope that the work we have been dedicated to will continue in some form,' the email reads.
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