Long COVID, By the Numbers
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These aren't government estimates. They are counted from the statements of real patients and caregivers who wrote to The Ripple Effect Foundation and said: share my story. As new statements come in, this page is updated — the numbers grow because the waiting grows.
Based on 49 statements received · Last updated November 1, 2026
49
statements received so far
76%
have been sick for 4 years or more
52%
were dismissed, doubted, or left with no answers by the medical system
7,000+
members of our Long COVID community, still waiting with them
What they live with
Percentage of the 42 statements that detail symptoms.
Brain fog, memory loss, and cognitive problems
64%
Crushing fatigue
62%
Chronic pain
48%
Depression, anxiety, or PTSD
38%
Breathing problems and lung damage
36%
Racing heart, POTS, and autonomic problems
33%
Dizziness, vertigo, and balance problems
31%
Crashes after exertion (PEM)
29%
Sleep problems
26%
Headaches and migraines
24%
Stomach and gut problems
24%
What it cost them
24 of the 45 lost a job, closed a business, or can no longer work. One spouse cut her hours in half to become a caregiver.
15 have been hospitalized during their illness. At least 4 were put on ventilators. One husband never came home.
17 describe serious financial harm — drained savings, five-figure medical bills, incomes cut in half or worse, a home and businesses nearly lost.
At least 5 were denied disability benefits and had to hire lawyers, appeal, or go to a tribunal to be believed.
One woman counts 25 different specialists. Another counts 25 symptoms. One man counts hundreds of appointments over six years.
Who they are
They were marathon runners, nurses, police officers, pastors, teachers, and business owners. 8 of the 45 are nurses or healthcare workers who spent their careers caring for others. Their stories come from at least 9 U.S. states — and as far away as Australia.
In their words
“Doctors have dismissed me, gaslighted me, doubted me and some even laughed.”
— Ruthann Harner
“Not a single doctor has given me a solution or effective treatment to help me feel better and improve my life.”
— Saundra Lemaster
“Going from being the nurse to becoming the patient has been one of the hardest transitions of my life.”
— Laci Arnett
“There is no safety net for us.”
— a Long COVID patient
How we count
Every number on this page comes from statements emailed to longcovidstatements@gmail.com by patients, caregivers, and surviving family members who asked for their stories to be shared. We count only what each person actually described — if a symptom or hardship isn't mentioned, it isn't counted, so these numbers are a floor, not a ceiling. This is a community's testimony, not a clinical study — and that is exactly its power: this is what Long COVID looks like when the people living it do the counting. The counter includes every statement emailed to us, even ones not published as story pages; the percentages count only what people described in detail in their statements.
Share your story: email longcovidstatements@gmail.com — every new statement makes these numbers stronger.