The hidden crisis: Long COVID's association with housing stability and home accessibility among people with disabilities.
Kelsey Goddard, Andrew Myers, Catherine Ipsen
PMID 38880718WHAT IT FOUND
Among adults with disabilities surveyed, those reporting Long COVID more often had unstable housing, cost worries, poor home conditions, and homes that did not support them.
Therapists should ask about home access and money when planning care.
Key findings
01Housing instability was reported by 21.1% of respondents with Long COVID and 8.1% of respondents without Long COVID.
02Respondents with Long COVID reported more concerns about unsteady income (54.8% vs. 35.2%) and large unexpected expenses (80.3% vs. 36.2%), and more often said their home layout and features were unsupportive (17.6% vs. 11.4%).
03Interview participants described stairs as major obstacles because of physical limitations and fatigue from Long COVID.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The survey used a convenience sample recruited through disability organizations, so the results may not represent all adults with disabilities. Housing status, Long COVID, cost concerns, and home accessibility were all self-reported, so accuracy depends on participants' recall and interpretation. The study is cross-sectional, so it cannot show that Long COVID caused housing problems or that conditions changed over time. The Long COVID group was defined by a single self-report question, and researchers did not ask whether symptoms were current. Important factors such as preexisting health conditions, socioeconomic status, and access to healthcare were not controlled for. The qualitative interviews involved 13 people selected purposively, so they describe experiences but cannot show how common those experiences are. 1192 respondents were not asked the Long COVID question because they did not confirm infection or said they did not know, so the comparison excludes those people.
Declared interests
The authors declared no competing interests.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that Long COVID caused housing instability or accessibility problems. The study was cross-sectional, used a convenience sample, relied on self-reported Long COVID status, and did not control for factors such as preexisting health conditions or socioeconomic status.