Report details California long COVID comp claims

Around 13% of California workers compensation claims for COVID-19 in 2020 and 2021 included medical treatment for long COVID, according to a report released Friday by the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California.

The WCIRB report also showed that the risks of long COVID are higher in female workers, workers over 50 years of age and workers who have comorbidities, and that comp claims that involve treatment for long COVID symptoms are four times more likely to result in permanent disability benefits.

The report said more than 300,000 COVID-19 comp claims have been filed in California since the start of the pandemic in March 2020.

The leading types of symptoms treated in long COVID comp claims in the post-acute period are respiratory issues, including coughing, chest pain and shortness of breath. Fatigue and musculoskeletal and neurological conditions are among the leading types of long COVID symptoms treated in mild and hospital comp claims.

More than half of all long COVID comp claims in California during the study period were filed by health care workers, although those working in that industry were also more likely than other workers to be vaccinated early against the virus, the report stated.