Millions of individuals continue to experience prolonged illness from COVID-19, known as “Long COVID.” Many report debilitating, lasting symptoms. In response, the Biden Administration has identified a need for a whole-of-government effort to advance our nation’s understanding of Long COVID, promote high-quality care for patients, and help individuals access supportive services. Taking the lead among government agencies, the VHA and the VA Long COVID Integrated Project Team are establishing an enterprise-wide whole health approach to Long COVID. This live virtual series provides rapid dissemination of research to address knowledge gaps resulting from the emergent nature of Long COVID. In these sessions, renowned international and national subject matter experts present the results of cutting-edge research on Long COVID and discuss the implications for clinical care.

The purpose of the knowledge-based training is to improve researchers’, and clinicians’/interprofessional healthcare teams’ understanding of Long COVID and to support the development of research-based protocols for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. The expertise shared by the SMEs will lead to improved processes for caring for Veterans and ease the burden of Long COVID on the healthcare system. The training outcome assures raising awareness better; and better understand its symptoms—including anxiety and depression, fatigue, shortness of breath, difficulty concentrating, heart palpitations, disordered sleep, chest and joint pain, and headache. answer key questions on the characteristics, risk factors, underlying mechanisms, and health impacts of Long COVID, advancing our nation's understanding of Long COVID and its associated conditions.