Black people with long-haul Covid felt invisible to the health care system and have formed their own support groups

Black Covid long-haulers say doctors dismissed their symptoms, so now they’re relying on one another for support These Black-led groups have popped up across the country as more and more Black people have reported prolonged Covid symptoms — and difficulty getting treatment. NBC News

Chimére L. Smith, 40, thought her bout with Covid in March 2020 would pass within two weeks, as most mild cases do. But the Baltimore English middle school teacher found herself continuously experiencing extreme fatigue, diarrhea, dry mouth, brain fog and a sore throat, which she initially attributed to a possible sinus infection.  ... Smith was experiencing long Covid. 

Smith said she visited hospitals a dozen times seeking help, but the physicians brushed her off, and one doctor labeled her “aggressive” when she insisted that severe headaches she experienced were due to Covid. She said she was repeatedly discharged with no resolution after each visit. ...

That’s when Smith found the BIPOC Women Long Covid ‘Long Hauler’ Support Group, a Facebook group with hundreds of women of color with long Covid who meet virtually. Since joining the group in May 2021, Smith said she has been better equipped to advocate for her own care and that of  Black women living with prolonged symptoms of the virus. She’s one of many Black people across the country suffering from long Covid who have found solace in communities of people having the same experience. Similar support groups have popped up  in many states since the pandemic began, with Black people uniting to tackle everything from lingering symptoms to disparities in the nation’s health care system.

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