Long COVID prevalence data are among CDC information taken offline following Trump order to remove “gender ideology” references.
A key source of U.S. Long COVID data is now offline following a purge of information related to sexual orientation and gender identity ordered by President Donald Trump’s administration. The Household Pulse Survey, a data collection effort by the U.S. Census and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is among many CDC datasets and pages that became unavailable on Friday.
Trump’s administration has ordered federal government staff to remove any references to “gender ideology” on public websites, NBC News reported, with a deadline of Friday afternoon. CDC staff were specifically threatened that the entire agency’s website would come down if the order was not followed by 5 PM Eastern time, according to the newsletter Garbage Day.
The Household Pulse Survey specifically reported Long COVID prevalence by sexual orientation and gender identity. It was one of the only federal sources tracking Long COVID, and reported data more frequently than other surveys.
The order is part of Trump’s broad attacks on transgender Americans and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts. It also follows freezes on public communications, meetings, grants, and other work by federal health agencies.
Early in the pandemic, the Census started the Household Pulse Survey to rapidly track how the COVID-19 crisis impacted different facets of Americans’ day-to-day life. Starting in summer 2022, the survey included questions about Long COVID, through a partnership with the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics. It asked whether respondents had experienced long-term symptoms following COVID-19 and how those symptoms had limited their activity.
The CDC reported results from this survey along several demographic factors, including gender identity and sexual orientation, as well as by state. According to the survey, transgender adults were more likely to report Long COVID than cisgender adults: in the most recent data (from a survey conducted in late August to mid-September 2024), 27.6% of transgender adults had ever experienced Long COVID compared to 13.7% of cisgender men and 21.8% of cisgender women.
Many other CDC datasets and pages related to gender identity and sexual orientation have been taken down as of Friday, including pages about HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases, the Youth Risk Behavioral Surveillance System, and the Social Vulnerability Index. The entire Census website is also down.
Other COVID-19 and Long COVID pages are still available as of Friday at 6 PM Eastern time. It’s unclear how the situation may unfold, however, as journalists report that more federal websites may be taken down this evening.
Journalists and scientists are working to archive federal webpages and datasets. The Sick Times will continue to follow this developing story; reach out to us if you would like to share information, comments, or questions.
The Sick Times will continue following Long COVID-related news from the Trump administration. To contact Betsy Ladyzhets: email betsy@thesicktimes.org, Signal @betsyladyzhets.25.
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