Short version: I'm a teacher and writer seeking support for medical and other costs incurred during my two year fight with Long COVID. I hope to seek out new treatments to improve my quality of life. Any help is appreciated!

Long version follows, I'll try to keep it interesting and positive:

(Above: my personal highlight as a host speaking with Lucy Lawless and Cornel West to support Steven Donzinger)

Hello! My name is Leslie Lee III, I'm a critic, writer, journalist, and teacher. You may know me from hosting my show Struggle Session or co-hosting The Katie Halper Show, appearing as a talking head in the documentary Exegesis Lovecraft, or heard me as a guest on Doughboys, Chapo Trap House, and other fine podcasts. I've also appeared on programs for NPR, BBC, and written for Jacobin, The Japan Times, Truth Dig, and other outlets.

(Above: My appearance on BBC World Have Your Say)

In late 2022 I had a "mild" case of COVID. When I returned to work I experienced some lingering fatigue which I thought was normal. However, it became significantly worse over time and began to negatively effect my professional and personal life.

I spent the majority of that winter break lying down or sleeping, unable to do most of the activities my partner and I had planned for the holidays. Even when I felt physically well simple tasks, like cooking a meals or wrapping gifts, felt mentally overwhelming.

I consulted with my primary care doctor in early January 2023, and they recommended, as a way to manage my condition, that I take intermittent days off from work. While this helped me manage the physical fatigue I experienced, my cognitive fatigue continued to increase as pushed myself through work.

(Above: My first day as a teacher!)

Teaching, which once brought me joy and purpose, became a source of immense stress and exhaustion. The standard demands of the classroom—lesson planning, grading, managing student behavior, and the constant noise and stimulation—were now insurmountable.

I began experiencing severe brain fog, cognitive fatigue, aphasia, debilitating migraines, extreme light and sound sensitivity, joint pain, among other symptoms. Even minor mental or physical exertions required extensive rest.

(Above: Masato Tanaka demonstrating what Long COVID feels like.)

The classroom environment, with its high levels of mental activity, physical demands, stress, social interaction, and sensory stimulation, became overwhelming. It was a minute-by-minute struggle to maintain the energy and patience required to teach effectively.

Upon seeing my deteriorating condition and work performance, my principal asked me to take leave beginning January that year. I spent the next several months seeking treatments and medications, though none proved significantly effective. I had hoped that time and rest would eventually allow me to recover, but I did not. Long COVID had taken hold of my life, and its impact was profound and unrelenting.

(Above: The first "quiz" I made, a student returned it with a cute sketch.)

During this time my writing effectively paused, in spite of offers, as I was no longer able to complete lengthy compositions. I went from doing one or two episodes a week of my podcast to one episode every other month, and I had to turn down numerous appearances and opportunities.

(Above: Talking to with Katie to Roger Waters and Steven Donzinger, who gives up this gig? A sicko person, that's who!)

Like many people with Long COVID, I was pushed to return to work after a portion of my leave claim was inaccurately denied by R.G. in October 2nd, 2023. I was nevertheless hopeful about resuming my teaching career. However, any recovery the months of rest brought quickly evaporated. I soon began having to regularly miss days of school and exhausted all of my sick leave for the year in a matter of months.

Eventually, my symptoms became even more severe than when I had to leave work initially. I was constantly fatigued and worried about my ability to safely fulfill my job duties. On March 19th, 2024, I requested accommodations from my school to help me teach, but when they saw my form, they immediately placed me on medical leave again, as I was clearly too sick to continue working.

My second attempt at working through my illness had a significant negative effect on my overall baseline health. At times, I have good days of some clarity and productivity, but eventually, the exertion brings on a crash that may take days or weeks to recover from.

(Above: What teaching with Long COVID actually feels like.)

However, I'm still hopeful. I may not be able to return to teaching any time soon but I haven been able to work more on my show. Most importantly, there been some rapid developments in managing the symptoms of Long COVID and even some possible treatments.

I'm fundraising so that I can seek more advanced treatments to get back more of my quality of life and continue working.

Your generous donations will go directly towards:

• Paying for medical costs including specialists, testing, and treatments no covered by insurance
• Daily living expenses due to lost wages while recovering

Every bit of support helps, my family and I are eternally grateful for any support. If you can’t donate, please consider sharing this campaign.

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Here's a recent episode of my show where I talk with journalist Taylor Lorenz about Long COVID and share a few laughs. Segment starts at 25 minutes in:

A brief communication published last week in NPJ Primary Care Respiratory Medicine outlines the substantial economic burden of long COVID worldwide, estimating that persistent symptoms after COVID infection cost the global economy roughly $1 trillion each year, or roughly 1% of global gross domestic product. 

The analysis looked at data across numerous studies and reports, analyzing long COVID’s impact on national economies, healthcare systems, labor markets, and quality of life.

Global prevalence estimates of long COVID vary widely. Conservative estimates suggest a range of 2% to 7%, while a systematic review of 144 studies published through 2024 suggests a prevalence of 36%, with higher rates reported in hospitalized patients, adults, and women. 

Even using more conservative estimates, the economic footprint of long COVID is "material and persistent," write the authors. One economic model suggests $3.7 trillion in annual losses associated with long COVID, with 59% attributed to decreases in quality of life and the remaining losses attributed to reduced earnings and increased medical expenses. 

In the United States alone, analyses suggest that long COVID may be responsible for $170 billion in annual lost wages, with some estimates ranging even higher.

Economic, social, and psychological impacts

Patients with long COVID often require more medical care, which comes at considerable personal expense. In a large study of 282,080 adults in the United Kingdom, annual median healthcare expenditures were £705 ($924), "substantially higher than observed in pre-long COVID (£294 [$385]), COVID-19 only (£447 [$586]), pre-pandemic (£306 [$401]), and contemporary non–COVID-19 (£350 [$459]) cohorts." 

Many patients also incur out-of-pocket medical expenses for fully self-funded treatments and insurance copayments. Reduced work hours and prolonged unemployment can also add to families’ economic hardship. Women, lower-income workers, and people without health insurance are hit even harder. 

Intangible impacts such as reduced social participation, psychological distress, and diminished quality of life are harder to quantify but no less real. "These impacts represent a profound impact on societal well-being," write the authors. 

Emerging evidence suggests that the economic implications of long COVID are profound and multifaceted.

The paper highlights emerging evidence that COVID-19 vaccination substantially reduces the prevalence of long COVID, lowering risk by approximately 21% in US adults and 16% globally—an important consideration for strategies aimed at minimizing long-term economic fallout. 

"Emerging evidence suggests that the economic implications of long COVID are profound and multifaceted, necessitating a comprehensive understanding to inform global policy and resource allocation," the authors conclude. 

Understanding full economic burden requires more research

The authors highlight the lack of standardized case definitions, evidence-based biomarkers, and reporting mechanisms for long COVID as factors that hinder accurate data collection about the economic impacts of long COVID. 

Despite increased awareness, understanding the economic burden of long COVID will require more research, write the authors, citing a need for comprehensive longitudinal studies to track the economic impact on individuals and healthcare systems over time, more longer-term cohort studies (most existing studies are cross-sectional or short-to-medium term), and more granular analyses to better understand the burden associated with different long COVID phenotypes (observable characteristics) and symptom clusters. 

In the meantime, the authors advocate learning from other chronic conditions and post-viral syndromes. "The economic modelling and management strategies for other chronic post-viral syndromes or debilitating conditions (e.g., ME/CFS [myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome] can provide valuable insights for projecting and mitigating the long-term economic burden of long COVID."