Dre Bishop and Ana Nikolic, “Understanding Women’s Experiences Seeking and Navigating Care for Long COVID”
Mentor: Linnea Laestadius, Public Health
Poster #17

The global COVID-19 pandemic has affected a huge number of people, with many of those contracting an extended form of COVID called ‘Long COVID’. Categorized by an extended set of symptoms after initial COVID infection, Long COVID can cause chronic pain, fatigue, and brain fog among other things such as a lack of smell or taste. This study aims to understand the experiences that women in the United States had when they were attempting to receive medical care or information about their Long COVID issues from their primary care providers. In this study we are using Zoom interviews to ask these women questions about their experiences, focusing specifically on how experiences may differ by race or ethnicity. Additionally, to find more women who have experienced and sought care for Long COVID, we are posting and creating advertisements on various social media sites, such as Instagram, Twitter, Reddit, or Facebook. As we are currently still working on the study, there are no results yet, however we hope to bring attention to the lack of research and understanding about the experiences of women with Long COVID who have attempted to access medical care for their symptoms. There is a critical need to understand not just the barriers and enabling factors to receipt of appropriate care, but also the financial and mental health implications of navigating care.