Item 4: Clear the Air COVID Presentation — original pdf

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March 2026 Long COVID, Disability, and Public Health in Austin Introduction Founder of Clear the Air ATX Recipient of the American Association of People with Disabilities 2026 Paul G Hearne Emerging Leader Award Contributor to Patient-Led Research Collaborative Board Member & Accessibility Coordinator of Austin Dyke March Board 2 Those studying the impact of Long COVID on Disabled people have made clear recommendations that “we must center the needs of people with disabilities to create equitable policies and responses that result in better health outcomes for this health disparity population” Sources: American Public Health Association - https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/10.2105/AJPH.20 24.307794 3 ● According to the CDC, Over 6 million people in Texas have a disability, or about 29% of the population. ● 17.9% of residents in Texas have experienced Long COVID. ● Texas also has the lowest health insurance rate in the country, with 13.6% of Texas children and 21.6% of Texas adults who do not have health insurance. This leads to many health barriers for people to access basic care. Disability in Texas Sources: Texas Care for Children , CDC Disability and Health Data System, https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/disabilityandhealth Long Covid and Disability Research shows people with disabilities face higher risk of Long COVID. Sources: Disability and Health Journal (2023) One study found: • 40.6% prevalence among people with preexisting disabilities • 18.9% in the general population People with disabilities may face additional barriers including • healthcare access challenges • higher exposure risk • disparities in treatment and diagnosis Local Healthcare Resources and Public Health Awareness Source: Dell Medical School https://dellmed.utexas.edu Austin benefits from strong healthcare institutions. UT Austin Dell Medical School • operates post-COVID clinical services • participates in national research initiatives Austin Public Health also provides Long COVID information resources through the City website. However, available materials appear limited, are difficult to find, and have not been significantly updated since 2023. The current APH resource discussing Long Covid has room for improvement as it lacks critical educational information and resources that would be beneficial to the disabled community. Long Covid has a vast amount of symptoms, however, the flyer does not disclose that people could still have Long Covid but not be experiencing the symptoms they listed. There is no education discussing the cumulative risk of developing Long Covid with each additional infection. There is an absence of resources listed to help further someone’s understanding, education, and potential ability to receive medical or emotional support for Long Covid 7 As of 2025, ⅓ of people in U.S. do not know what Long Covid is. If ⅓ of people in the U.S. do not know what Long Covid is, and 1 in 4 adults in the U.S. are Disabled, how many Disabled people or their caregivers are unaware of the threat Long Covid poses to their health? Sources: American Medical Association, CDC Disability and Health 9 10 11 12 COVID-19 and many other viruses and pollutants that can lead to new or worsening health conditions often spreads primarily through airborne transmission. We can improve air quality through • ventilation • filtration Clean Indoor Air, Disability, and Public Health • HEPA air purifiers can significantly reduce respiratory disease transmission. These improvements benefit, people with Long COVID, people with respiratory disabilities, immunocompromised individuals, older adults Sources: World Health Organization, https://www.who.int Clean Indoor Air, Disability, and Public Health Sources: WashU Medicine https://medicine.washu.edu/news/risk-of-long-covid-d eclined-over-course-of-pandemic/ “Al-Aly also emphasized that even with the overall decline, the lowest rate — 3.5% — remains a substantial risk. “That’s three to four vaccinated individuals out of 100 getting long COVID,” he said. “Multiplied by the large numbers of people who continue to get infected and reinfected, it’s a lot of people. This remaining risk is not trivial. It will continue to add an already staggering health problem facing people across the world.”Source Clean Indoor Air, Disability, and Public Health Sources: Healthy Indoor Air: A Global Call to Action https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1v/k1vv2t3bma ● WHO declared clean indoor air is a basic human right ● World Heart Federation shared that in 2019 household air pollution contributed to 3.2 million deaths. ● International Labour Organization said “The air we breathe indoors is central to safeguarding workers’ health and productivity. statement “Millions of people with chronic conditions are being put at risk or quietly excluded because clean indoor air has not been treated as a fundamental human right. If the act of breathing in a space makes someone sick, access isn’t equitable.” - Safer Air Project at United Nations Healthy Indoor Air Panel 2025 Opportunities for Austin Austin has a strong history of public health leadership. Opportunities include • improving public health communication • strengthening partnerships with healthcare institutions • improving access to reliable information for residents These steps can be pursued within existing City resources and staffing. Potential Recommendations for Boards and Commissions Recommendation 1 Expand Austin Public Health communication regarding • Long COVID awareness and sharing new information regarding Long COVID as it’s available. • International Long COVID Awareness Day • voluntary prevention strategies such as masking and clean indoor air Using existing City communication channels. Potential Recommendations for Boards and Commissions Recommendation 2 Encourage collaboration between • Austin Public Health • Clinicians specializing in post-COVID care • Community organizations and patient advocates to develop updated Long COVID resources for Austin residents. It's imperative that this work is done in collaboration and with approval by people from the Long COVID community, including patients, their allies, and engaged clinicians. Potential Recommendations for Boards and Commissions Recommendation 3 Explore opportunities to incorporate Long COVID indicators into existing public health data partnerships. Potential partners may include • UT Austin • Dell Medical School • federal research initiatives such as NIH RECOVER Source: NIH RECOVER Initiative, https://recovercovid.org In Conclusion 1. We know people with disabilities are more likely to get COVID, and therefore more likely to experienced symptoms from Long COVID. 2. We know inequitable access to vaccines only makes the problem worse, as those with disabilities and those without insurance are unable to get the treatment they need. Additionally, people are more at risk for worsening Long COVID if they have inadequate access to rest and work from home jobs. 3. We know that once someone begins to experience of symptoms of Long COVID, they are more likely to have complications in other areas of their life and health. 5. Through practical steps focused on information, partnerships, and accessibility, Austin can strengthen support for residents experiencing Long COVID while remaining mindful of fiscal constraints. 21