NIH must stop Long COVID trials on debunked, damaging therapies and fund strategic therapeutic research.

As the year draws to a close, I am contacting you on an urgent matter. Please sign our petition to demand that the US National Institutes of Health block plans for Long COVID research studies on debunked, harmful methods and step in to ensure a strategic, well-funded effort to find real answers. Here's what's going on: The RECOVER Initiative was funded by the US Congress to find answers on how to treat Long COVID. But we've learned that RECOVER's plans for their first wave of clinical trials includes studies of exercise therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy. We are, frankly, horrified. Patient advocates and our loved ones are speaking out: Approximately half of people with Long COVID meet the diagnostic criteria for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). Research studies and patient reports have shown that exercise therapies often cause harm for people with ME/CFS and cognitive behavioral therapy is not an effective treatment. Given this, it is neglectful that RECOVER would choose to focus on exercise and forms of CBT when there are dozens of drugs available waiting to be tested that could lead to better outcomes and/or more clues as to the pathophysiology of Long COVID. It is a waste of taxpayer money, limited resources, and crucial time to be testing harmful, debunked hypotheses. Please sign our petition to demand that NIH immediately step in to right this situation, and commit to greater leadership and resources on Long COVID and associated diseases (LCAD). NIH failed to secure any new funding for RECOVER this year, so these misguided trials might be among the only ones funded for at least a year. As one of millions of people now living with both ME/CFS and Long COVID, I thank you for your help. JD Davids co-founder Long COVID Justice