Approximately 8 million U.S. Adults were estimated to be living with long COVID in 2024, a figure comparable to the number of Americans currently living with Alzheimer’s disease, according to research published Monday in JAMA Network Open.
The study, based on analysis of data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), a long-running annual and nationally representative poll, estimates that 8.3% of U.S. Adults – around 21.3 million people – reported ever having long COVID in 2024. Of those, roughly 60% reported having recovered from their symptoms.
Researchers found that the odds of developing long COVID have decreased over time, falling from a 19.7% prevalence rate among those infected at the start of the pandemic to 13.7% in 2024. Recovery rates have similarly increased, from 51.2% at the pandemic’s start to 59.7% in 2024.
The findings align with other studies examining the recent toll of long COVID in the U.S., including research from the National Institutes of Health’s RECOVER initiative. The researchers acknowledge potential misclassification of cases and recovery, noting that symptoms could be attributed to other causes or intermittent flare-ups could lead to inaccurate reporting.
The study highlights that lasting symptoms continue to affect many, particularly those 35 years or older. The condition, characterized by symptoms ranging from fatigue and shortness of breath to cognitive dysfunction, remains poorly understood, with no clear biomarker for diagnosis and no widely effective treatments available.
Yale University has been involved in tracking the evolution of COVID-19 policies and the impact of the virus. In early 2024, Yale Health ended its Campus COVID Resource Line and the University no longer reports positive COVID-19 cases, reflecting a broader shift towards treating the virus as endemic. Yale’s vaccination policy, updated in August 2025, continues to emphasize vaccination as a key public health tool.
The researchers emphasize the demand for further investment in understanding the biological mechanisms underlying long COVID, particularly identifying differences between those who recover and those who do not, to potentially identify targets for intervention.
