Approving Workplace Accommodations for Patients with Long Covid — Advice for Clinicians

   This Perspective article discusses the ethical, legal, and clinical implications of approving workplace accommodations for patients with long Covid. It examines a case study involving a warehouse worker struggling with debilitating symptoms post-Covid and highlights the challenges clinicians face when diagnosing long Covid in the absence of definitive biomarkers. The piece outlines how long Covid qualifies as a disability under U.S. law—particularly the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)—and stresses the importance of framing accommodation requests around functional impairments rather than test results. It also critiques societal skepticism toward invisible or nontraditional disabilities and encourages clinicians to thoughtfully complete accommodation forms as a means of validating patients’ experiences and ensuring access to rights. Recommendations include using the ICD-10 code U09.9 more consistently and being mindful of equity in documentation practices.

   This Perspective article discusses the ethical, legal, and clinical implications of approving workplace accommodations for patients with long Covid. It examines a case study involving a warehouse worker struggling with debilitating symptoms post-Covid and highlights the challenges clinicians face when diagnosing long Covid in the absence of definitive biomarkers. The piece outlines how long Covid qualifies as a disability under U.S. law—particularly the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)—and stresses the importance of framing accommodation requests around functional impairments rather than test results. It also critiques societal skepticism toward invisible or nontraditional disabilities and encourages clinicians to thoughtfully complete accommodation forms as a means of validating patients’ experiences and ensuring access to rights. Recommendations include using the ICD-10 code U09.9 more consistently and being mindful of equity in documentation practices.