Trends in Financial Hardship by COVID-19 Infection History, Long COVID Status, and Day-to-Day Activity Limitations: A National Study of US Adults.

BACKGROUND AND

OBJECTIVE

This study investigated whether the association between COVID-19 health status and financial hardship changed over time.

METHODS

Weighted logistic regression analyses were conducted using data from 1 367 829 adults surveyed in the US Census Bureau's Household Pulse Survey (October 2022-September 2024) to estimate the average marginal effects of COVID-19 health status on financial hardship.

RESULTS

Adjusted logistic regression estimates showed that financial hardship was, on average, 27 percentage points higher for those reporting long COVID with severe activity limitations and 9 points higher for those with mild limitations, compared to never-infected adults. The differences in financial hardship across groups with different COVID-19 health status remained largely stable throughout the 2-year study period.

CONCLUSIONS

The persistent link between activity-limiting long COVID and financial hardship underscores the need for integrated policy responses.