Long-COVID: The Next Challenge for the Staffing Industry
As employers return to pre-pandemic norms, and ask people to return to work—at least a few days a week—some employees may struggle more than others with chronic health problems related to COVID. Many who suffered through COVID are dealing with long-term side effects, the so-called long COVID or “long haul COVID”. And like all other business sectors, the staffing industry will feel the impact, as the labor base has shrunk, experts say.
Long COVID, or long-haul COVID, applies to those individuals who have suffered long-term or possibly permanent side effects from COVID, despite recovering from the actual illness itself. Some of these side effects make it challenging, if not impossible, to do their former jobs. According the Centers for Disease Control, these symptoms can include fatigue, heart damage, breathing conditions, difficult concentrating, and even depression and anxiety. Some post COVID sufferers have even reported uncontrollable shaking of the hands and joint pain. Depending on the severity of the conditions, this will have an impact on the number of available employees and the kind of tasks they can perform.