News

The NYC Test & Trace Corps announced today that its AfterCare program has launched an inbound calling hotline for New Yorkers seeking information and resources to recover from Long COVID. New Yorkers who are suffering from or suspect they may have Long COVID can now directly call AfterCare Navigators, health outreach specialists with experience supporting people during their COVID infection, to be assessed for their specific health and social needs and connected to Long COVID resources.

“Our AfterCare program’s launch of inbound calling ensures that thousands of New Yorkers whose battle with COVID-19 did not end after their initial infection are a phone call away from the resources they need for their recovery,” said Dr. Ted Long, Executive Director of the NYC Test & Trace Corps and Senior Vice President for Ambulatory Care and Population Health at NYC Health + Hospitals. “The comprehensive assistance our AfterCare Navigators can connect patients to, including our COVID Centers of Excellence dedicated to the long-term complications of the virus, ensures that we can accommodate the many ways Long COVID may have impacted them. I encourage anyone who has or thinks they may have Long COVID to call 212-COVID19 to get the help they need.”

“New Yorkers looking to take the first steps in their Long COVID recovery should begin with a phone call to our experienced AfterCare Navigators to learn more about the resources available to assist them,” said Dr. Amanda K. Johnson, Director of TakeCare at the NYC Test & Trace Corps and Assistant Vice President of Ambulatory Care and Population Health at NYC Health + Hospitals. “We are here to help, no matter how Long COVID has affected you. We know the many ways this condition can impact patients’ health and disrupt their mental, social, and financial well-being, which is why we offer comprehensive resources to support their recovery.”

The AfterCare program connects New Yorkers with Long COVID—a wide range of new, ongoing or returning symptoms patients may develop after their initial COVID-19 infection—to resources to support them in their recovery process. To address the various symptoms New Yorkers with Long COVID may experience, as well as the social and economic impacts of the condition, such as loss of employment or social isolation, AfterCare Navigators connect patients to holistic resources that address physical health, mental health, community support and financial assistance.

Since the launch of AfterCare in April 2021, AfterCare Navigators have texted or called over 110,000 New Yorkers who are former cases of COVID-19, following up approximately 4 weeks later if the patient reported having symptoms on their last day of COVID monitoring. AfterCare Navigators have prioritized COVID cases and contacts in zip codes identified by the Taskforce on Racial Inclusion and Equity (TRIE) as disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 and other health and socioeconomic disparities.

To date, AfterCare has referred over 50,000 New Yorkers to Long COVID resources. Patients can be referred to NYC Health + Hospitals’ COVID-19 Centers of Excellence, which offer dedicated short and long-term follow-up care for Long COVID patients, including pulmonary care and supplemental oxygen, cardiological care, diagnostic radiology services, comprehensive mental health services, and examination rooms with special technology to safely isolate patients who may have COVID-19.

In addition, AfterCare provides the following resources to support patients’ recovery:

• Physical health
  • Self-care management techniques
  • Access to primary care
• Mental health
  • NYC Well
  • Mayor’s Office of Community Mental Health
• Community support
  • Body Politic COVID-19 Support Group
• Financial assistance
  • Eviction prevention
  • Funeral assistance
  • Disability benefits

If you or a loved one are suffering from or think you may have Long COVID, please call 212-COVID19 (212-268-4319), select your preferred language, and press 4 to speak directly to an AfterCare navigator. Please visit the AfterCare website and AfterCare’s Long COVID recovery guide for more information about Long COVID and the resources available to you.

Contact: Press Office, 212-788-3339

About the NYC Test & Trace Corps

The NYC Test & Trace Corps is the City’s comprehensive effort to test, trace, and provide support for every case of COVID-19 and every person exposed to the virus that causes COVID-19. Through a partnership with NYC Health + Hospitals and the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the Test & Trace Corps allows the City to immediately isolate and care for those who test positive for the virus and then rapidly track, assess, and quarantine anyone who may have been exposed. To help all New Yorkers safely separate at home and monitor their health status, the Take Care pillar of the Test & Trace Corps also offers free hotel rooms with wraparound services for New Yorkers who are unable to safely separate in their own homes.

About NYC Health + Hospitals

NYC Health + Hospitals is the largest public health care system in the nation serving more than a million New Yorkers annually in more than 70 patient care locations across the city’s five boroughs. A robust network of outpatient, neighborhood-based primary and specialty care centers anchors care coordination with the system’s trauma centers, nursing homes, post-acute care centers, home care agency, and MetroPlus health plan—all supported by 11 essential hospitals. Its diverse workforce of more than 42,000 employees is uniquely focused on empowering New Yorkers, without exception, to live the healthiest life possible. For more information, visit www.nychealthandhospitals.org and stay connected on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NYCHealthSystem or Twitter at @NYCHealthSystem.