16.3 million working-age Americans currently have long COVID. Among those people, 2 to 4 million are out of work due to the condition, new Brookings research shows. 

With the costs of long COVID set to grow, it is time for the U.S. government to take the threat seriously. From enhancing data collection to expanding paid sick leave, Katie Bach shares five policy recommendations to reduce the economic burden of long COVID. 

Also in this edition, we look at how cities and counties are spending their American Rescue Plan funds, the pandemic's effect on the U.S. federal budget, and concerning trends regarding learning loss programs for students. 

More research and commentary

How local governments are using recovery funds. Whether it's assisting renters or supporting small businesses, cities and counties are using American Rescue Plan funds to combat economic disadvantage in a number of ways. Alan Berube provides an overview.

COVID's impact on the U.S. federal budget. While the pandemic and the associated U.S. policy responses to it had an enormous effect on short-term federal budget dynamics, the long-term effects are likely to be quite small, William Gale and Alan J. Auerbach find. 

Parental interest in learning loss interventions. Across the United States, school districts are implementing programs to support children academically as they make up for lost learning time. But low parental interest in these education programs is a cause for concern, Dan Silver, Anna Saavedra, and Morgan Polikoff argue.