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Long Covid Awareness Day & Month
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International Long Covid Awareness (ILCA) created International Long Covid Awareness Day (March 15th) and Month (March) in 2023. Raising Long COVID Awareness is important for the 400 million plus (as of 2024) of those with Long COVID around the world not getting sufficient help and support for their serious, debilitating, and unique chronic disease. Many have been suffering going on six plus years, as of International Long Covid Awareness Day (ILCAD) 2026. Far too many are still anguishing so the Long COVID Foundation has been supporting ILCA in their quest to raise awareness and ultimately bring solutions to those with Long COVID, as there quest is our quest as well.
ILCA 2026
For 2026, ILCA Month (ILCAM) will have a focus on the impacts of SARS-CoV-2 and Long COVID on the heart & cardiovascular system.
* Tagline: 'Long COVID: Every heartbeat counts'
* Hashtag: #LongCovidHeartbeats
In 2026 ILCAM we have been more involved. We have continued to quarterback the Long COVID illuminations, #LitForLongCovid, which now stand at 435 in 18 countries, but we have also looked to support International Long Covid Awareness coalition with their work however we can. Long COVID awareness is vital for building momentum to receive solutions.
There are a number of events occurring throughout International Long Covid Awareness Month, which you can view on the calendar page on the updated International Long Covid Awareness Website. Events include Long COVID Demonstrations in:
* Annapolis, MD, USA 🇺🇸
* Olympia, WA, USA 🇺🇸
* Calgary, CAN 🇨🇦
* Montreal, CAN 🇨🇦
* Toronto, CAN 🇨🇦
* Vancouver, CAN 🇨🇦
* Zaragoza, ESP 🇪🇸
* Paris, FRA 🇫🇷
Everyone is encouraged to show support for Long Covid during Long Covid Awareness Month by changing their social media images by adding one of the two Long COVID rings to their profile pictures.
One is the original and the other is specially made for 2026 (which has a ribbon with 2026 on it).
Raise Long Covid Awareness with these social media rings created by Long Covid community member @HazieThompson
We're also supporting the creation of a community led Long COVID Definition as we are in need of an updated and more robust Long COVID Definition that more accurately accounts for the dangers Long COVID presents. We've written before about some of the shortcomings of other Long COVID Definitions and we look to this definition to correct these.
The community can provide there feedback until midnight PST on March 6th, so get your comments in now here.
The finalized community Long COVID Definition is planned to be released on March 13th, but the date is tentative. If not that day, it will be released later in March.
LCF is pushing to get press coverage for ILCAM by sharing the beautifully written ILCA press release for International Long Covid Awareness Month. We also supported the ILCA coalition with their use of a press service to make this press release more visible. We plan to do the same for the additional press release they will make for ILCAD. LCF encourages you to share this press release with new stations, reporters, and on social media. Press kits that LCF helped to create can be seen by clicking on images below.
Another form that's open to the community is the Long COVID Death Registry, which will aid in helping to track and compile a list of those who have lost their lives to Long COVID.
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The Long COVID Death Registry will be available to the public to help show people the impact that Long COVID is having on peoples' lives and the need to prevent COVID infections and reinfections, as there are still no FDA approved treatments for Long COVID.
On March 1st, we began a guerilla continuing medical education (CME) campaign #GuerillaCME. The normal channels for medical education are failing us when it comes to Long COVID. We've seen them fail other chronic diseases and illnesses in the past, so we thought it best not to leave it up to them based on history, and take our own action.
The first resource we have shared is the Cardiovascular One Pager that patients can bring to their doctors, or drop off or send to any cardiologist. LCF members are planning on dropping off these materials to all doctors within their local area. We plan to release a one pager for every specialty, or at least every major specialty, later in the month with additional resources as well. It shouldn't be those who are suffering from Long COVID who also have to educate the medical field about SARS-CoV-2 and Long COVID, but if we don't do it, who will do it, or who will do it properly?
LCF has paid for a Long Covid Awareness Billboard in Times Square, New York City, NY. The video to the right will run as seen 2x per hour for 60 seconds each time for a total of at least 44 times on March 15th, International Long Covid Awareness Day.
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The billboard is located at 1560 Broadway, Times Square, New York City, NY right above the Pelé store.
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It is a prime spot near the stands in Times Square. We hope this reaches people, so that they can better understand the harms of Long Covid and act accordingly. We're happy to support International Long Covid Awareness with their coordinated effort to help those with Long Covid.
We will have more to announce as the month continues. LCF is still in the midst of working on a number of projects and once finalized, we will share.
ILCA 2025
For ILCA 2025 we took on the task of getting buildings, landmarks, and other sites lit up on or around International Long Covid Awareness Day (3/15/25), mostly in the United States. We created a large data base of locations and contacted more than 1,000 sites. As of now, there are 106 known sites lighting up around the world, 87 in the United States. We took on this project a few weeks before March 15th, so we expect more lightnings in the years to come. There were several groups and individuals that worked to get sites lit, outside of our own efforts.
You can view the list of locations with addresses, dates/times, and other details here. We encourage the community to go take pictures of these sites lit up for Long COVID and send to LCF (info@longcfoundation.org) and post on social media.Below is an excellent flier created by NicolaRW Creations showing various locations that will be lit up for ILCA 2025 (mostly in teal). To read more information, and view pictures of some of these buildings or landmarks lit up, please visit our Lit Up For Long COVID page.
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