In two of my previous Law1199.com Newsletters — 2020 Issues 8 and 14 — I discussed the long-term impact of COVID and the fact that conditions associated with the virus may continue even after a change in symptomatology to the point where individuals who have been infected believe they are once again functioning at a higher level.
On March 23, 2021, New York State Senator Brad Hoylman proposed legislation (effective only in the state of New York [S 5927 A]) which would create a COVID-19 Health Registry. The registry drafted is modeled after the World Trade Center Health Registry and would be for the purpose of obtaining information regarding the impact of COVID-19 on people who have been exposed and their current state of health.
The information currently available regarding COVID-19 infections — particularly with regard to LONG COVID and the people referred to as “long haulers” — is very narrow and does not provide a complete picture as to the cure rate and the impact of the disease in view of the latent manifestation of impairments or limitations.
In my two newsletters cited — again, 2020 Issues 8 and 14 — I addressed the latency of the virus’s long-term impact, which includes problems related to the heart, memory, pulmonary system and other body parts. The registry being proposed by New York State Senator Brad Hoylman, as mentioned, is for the purpose of obtaining information — information which is more
clinically directed to help LONG COVID patients so that a medical plan is in place to deal with their symptomatology and restrictions, and to ensure there is no minimization of the virus’s impact on workers and/or their families.
I have attached the legislation regarding the registry proposed by New York State Senator Brad Hoylman. It is important to note that participation by COVID patients in the proposed registry designed to monitor the long-term health impact of COVID-19 would be on a voluntary basis. The information garnered will be for both the physical and mental impacts of COVID-19, and it will provide some empirical data for the medical community to identify and provide appropriate care to cure or relieve the impact of COVID on affected individuals.
The thought is that consideration should be given to the creation of a voluntary COVID registry. The language used in the proposed legislation may meet the threshold of acceptability for California legislation as well. This legislation will help to protect ALL California workers and demonstrate the continued movement to protect all workers in California.